A perfect pairing for Le Fraghe - Camporengo Garganega 2014
300g whole, raw cold-water prawns, shell-on 1kg fresh live mussels
200g fresh squid, cleaned
3 tbsp mild olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 celery sticks, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 leek, trimmed, washed and finely diced
250ml dry white wine
1 quantity harissa
1 tsp tomato purée
Small pinch of saffron
Small bunch of fresh coriander or flatleaf parsley
- Peel the prawns, then pop the shells and heads in a pot with 500ml water. Bring to a simmer (don’t boil) and let it fizz gently for about 45 minutes. Chill the peeled prawns.
- Meanwhile, scrape the barnacles and pull any beards from the mussels. Run them under a cold tap for a minute or so, then discard any open mussels that don’t close when tapped on the worktop, along with any that are cracked. Chill.
- Slice the squid bodies into rings and chop the tentacles if you prefer. Chill.
- Heat the oil in a large pot (preferably one with a lid) over a medium-low heat. Add the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften. Stir in the wine, harissa, purée and saffron and let it simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, until reduced by about two-thirds.
- Once the liquid has reduced, add the prawns, mussels and squid. Strain the prawn shell stock and add about 300ml to the pot. Cover and allow everything to steam for about 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked and all the mussels are open. Discard any that don’t open after cooking.
- Check the seasoning. Divide between bowls (don’t leave any of that stock and mussel liquor behind – it’s fantastic) and garnish with coriander or parsley sprigs to serve.
