For lovers of fresh and genuine flavours, the recipe for a primo piatto flavoured with king prawns, fresh stracciatella cheese and a sprinkle of chopped almonds will not disappoint.
Chef Matteo Bocchio explains how to prepare one of the dishes he created for the restaurant he works for, Cirelli & co. in Brunswick West, Melbourne.
Fettuccine with prawns, stracciatella and chopped almonds
Ingredients
- 600gr of fresh fettuccine
- 24 king prawns
- 200gr of chopped almonds
- 150gr of stracciatella cheese
- 200ml of shrimp bisque
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 100ml of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and fine ground pepper
- 1 head of chopped parsley
- 1 glass of dry white wine
- Grated lemon zest
For the bisque:
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 carrot
- Shrimp heads and shells
- 1l of water
Preparation
Clean the prawns; cut the heads and the shell and set aside. Make an incision on the back of the back to clean the inside of the prawns.
Prepare the bisque by browning the heads and shells of the prawns and crushing them to release the flavour. Add the carrot and celery, then the litre of water. Bring to boil and cook for 20 minutes. Filter everything.
Chop the almonds or with the help of a knife or blender. Then grate the lemon zest and finally chop the parsley and garlic. Put it all aside.
Pour the oil into a pan and heat until hot. Then add garlic and prawns, season with salt and pepper and brown for 1 minute. Add the almonds and brown for another minute, then simmer with white wine until reduced.
Add the previously prepared prawn bisque and cook. When the fettuccine are cooked, add them to the pan and sprinkle with the grated lemon zest and the chopped parsley.
Leave to cook until a creamy sauce has formed. Serve and add the fresh stracciatella cheese as a garnish.
Listen to the podcast – only available in Italian – to discover some of the chef’s tips:
