Shellfish oil

Prawn shells contain loads of flavour and that beautiful orange colour, so instead of putting them in the rubbish, why not turn them into a delicious shellfish oil? You can use scampi or prawn shells – this recipe works well with either. There is not much difference – the scampi have claws and are generally sweeter but are touch more expensive.

• makes

  500 ml

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  2:10 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 300 g scampi or prawn shells
• 500 ml grapeseed oil
• 1 carrot, chopped and minced
• 1 small brown onion, chopped and minced
• 100 g tomato paste
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 litres water

Instructions

To roast the scampi or prawn shells, preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the shells on the tray and roast for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

In a large pot heat a little of the oil, add carrot, onion and tomato paste and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the roasted shells and all the other ingredients, including remaining oil, and cook for about 2 hours, or until most of the water has evaporated. Leave it to cool for a while.

Line a strainer with muslin, place over a bowl and tip in the scampi mixture. When the oil has drained into the bowl, skim off any extra water, pour the shellfish oil into a jar, seal and and refrigerate

The oil should keep in a sealed jar in the fridge for around 1 month.

Recipes and images from Three Blue Ducks by Mark LaBrooy & Darren Robertson, published by Plum, rrp $39.99.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.