Tiger Prawn Capellini

This would have been called tiger prawn risotto, had it not been for a last minute decision to cook pasta instead of risotto.

Nevertheless, the resulting dish was just as appealing as my original idea for a shrimp risotto, and in some ways, might have just turned out better.

Cook some capellini in a pot of boiling water for about 5-7 minutes, and strain it and run it under cold water to stop the cooking immediately.

In another pot, saute a mirepoix of carrots, onions and celery until they are fragrant. Drizzle some white wine and let the alcohol burn and until the vegetables soften somewhat.

Add in lots of chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Peel about 6 tiger prawns (serves 2 persons) and retain the shells and heads. Add the prawn shells into the cooking mirepoix stock and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Season the peeled prawns with salt and pepper and saute them in a pan of butter for about 2 minutes each side. Add some fresh and crushed basil and let the prawns rest in the pan as the pan is removed from the heat.

Cut another onion and saute in a new pan with olive oil and drizzle some wine and cook until the onions are soft and fragrant. Add in the mirepoix stock (without the vegetables) and cook it on high heat and let it reduce.

Make some roux (flour and butter) and add in the roux to thicken the mirepoix stock. Add it some grounded pepper and fresh parsley and add in the cooked capellini and toss. Once the pasta is properly coated with the mirepoix juices, it is time to plate.

Put some capellini in the center of a plate and place the tiger prawns on top. Add in some onions and sauce and garnish it with some more fresh parsley.

This will be a light tasting dish, with the sweetness of the broth giving it a nice flavor and the tiger prawns succulent and juicy. Simple and tasty!