CRAB BISQUE WITH SQUID INK SPAGHETTI AND SEARED SCALLOPS

Crab Bisque with squid ink spaghetti.jpeg
 

INGREDIENTS

Crab Bisque:

  • 3 blue swimmer crabs
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 carrot, halved and roughly chopped
  • 1 shallot, roughly chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
  • 4 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup brandy
  • 2 cups white wine
  • 4 tbsp basmati rice
  • 1L fish stock
  • 4 tbsp double cream
  • sea salt, to taste

Squid Ink Spaghetti:

  • 130 plain flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 egg
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp squid ink
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Seared Scallops:

  • 12 scallops, removed from shell
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt, to taste

METHOD

  1. For the Crab Bisque, clean and break down crabs, reserving the body, legs and claws.

  2. Place oil into a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Add carrot, shallot and celery and cook, without colouring, for about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high and add crab bodies, legs and claws and cook, stirring, until colour changes to a bright orange. Add tomato paste, stirring constantly to coat crabs and vegetables, and cook for 2 minutes. Add brandy to pan and flambé until almost dry. Add wine and cook until reduced by half.
  3. Remove crab bodies and process in a small food processor with some of the cooking liquid until fine. Return to the saucepan. Add rice, fish stock and 500ml water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until rice is completely soft and liquid has reduced to about 2 cups, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove claws and legs and discard.
  4. Pass bisque through a very fine sieve into a small saucepan and set over low heat. Add cream, season with salt and set aside, keeping warm, until serving.
  5. For the Squid Ink Spaghetti, place all ingredients, except oil, into a food processor, and pulse to bring dough together.
  6. Turn dough out onto clean, lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and evenly coloured black, about 10 minutes. Wrap in cling film and rest in fridge for at least 20 minutes.
  7. Cut dough in half and flatten until about 5mm thick. Pass through a pasta machine, lightly dusted with flour, on the thickest setting. Fold into thirds and pass through rollers again. Repeat this process a further two times. Continue to pass pasta dough through the machine reducing the thickness after each pass, until about 2mm thick. Trim sheet to square ends. Repeat with remaining half.
  8. Attach spaghetti attachment and pass pasta dough sheets through, then dust with flour and set aside until serving.
  9. For the Seared Scallops, heat a small frying pan over high heat from 2-3 minutes. Add oil and heat until smoking.
  10. Dry scallops well with paper towel and season with salt. Carefully add to the pan and cook until golden, about 20 seconds per side. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Set aside, keeping warm, until serving.
  11. To serve, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 2-3 minutes. Drain through a colander and toss with extra virgin olive oil.
  12. Use a carving fork to twirl the Squid Ink Spaghetti into a 4 large knots and place into the bottom of each serving bowl. Add 3 Seared Scallops to each bowl then pour in hot Crab Bisque.