Spot Prawns with Polenta Tortelletti

Washington Recipes

Spot Prawns with Polenta Tortelletti, Truffled Sunchoke and Pancetta

SEATTLE / AQUA by El Gaucho

Kevin Benner

Spot prawns with polenta tortelletti from AQUA.

SERVES 4

Three 5-pound spot prawns, jumbo or colossal

FOR POLENTA TORTELLETTI

1 cup polenta

3 cups water

½ cup butter

½ cup mascarpone

¼ cup half and half

Pinch salt

Pasta dough

FOR SUNCHOKE PUREE

1 pound sunchokes

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon shallots

1 tablespoon white truffle trim or truffle oil

FOR PANCETTA CHIPS

6 ounces pancetta, cubed

Canola oil

Remove the shells from the prawns and reserve any roe they are carrying. Bring water to a boil and whisk in the polenta and salt. Cook the polenta for 15 minutes on simmer, whisking periodically. Stir in the butter, half and half and cheese, then cook for another 5 minutes. Chill the filling in refrigerator. When the polenta is set, portion into small balls to fill your tortelletti. This dish can be equally delicious without the pasta—simply keep your polenta hot and serve with the prawns.

Slice the sunchokes into 1-inch pieces, cover with water in a stock pot and bring to a boil with the shallots. Once the water has reduced and the sunchokes are soft to the touch, add the cream and truffles or oil. Bring to a boil and carefully blend.

Sauté pancetta with a little canola oil until browned, then set aside.

Sauté spot prawns in butter and add prawn roe. This should take 2-3 minutes depending on the size of the prawn. Remove the cooked prawns, but save the pan and liquid the prawns were cooked in.

Cook pasta in boiling water. Once al dente, remove from water and toss with remaining spot prawn cooking liquid. Sauté the pasta until the liquid is reduced enough to coat the pasta and create a delicious sauce.

Spoon the sunchoke puree into bowls, top with pasta and spot prawns, garnish with fresh herbs, truffle peels or truffle oil, and pancetta.

Spot Prawn Matelote

SEATTLE / Sawyer

Mitch Mayers

SERVES 2

½ teaspoon saffron threads

¼ cup hot water

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves of garlic thinly sliced, divided

1 large onion, chopped

2 ounces brandy

1 cup white wine

2 heirloom tomatoes, diced

2 cups button (or wild) mushrooms, cut into ¼ slices

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 8 1-inch chunks

4 cups chicken stock

1 pound spot prawns, peeled and cleaned

Butter, to taste

Salt, to taste

Spot Prawns with Shiso-Oyster Emulsion, Lime and Sea Salt

SEATTLE / RockCreek Seafood & Spirits

Eric Donnelly

SERVES 4 as an appetizer

8 head-on spot prawns

1 cup seasoned Wondra flour

¼ cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 scrape of orange zest

6 jalapeños

8 fresh shiso leaves

3 lime slices

12 ounces of oyster-shiso aioli

(see recipe) 1 pinch of coarse sea salt

FOR OYSTER-SHISO AIOLI 1 cup shiso leaf, rough chopped 1 cup cilantro, rough chopped ¼ cup lime juice 4 oysters, shucked 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup grape seed oil

Toss the head-on spot prawns in a bowl with the seasoned Wondra flour, gently tossing until they are evenly coated. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and bring up to smoke point. Add the seasoned spot prawns to the oil and sauté them for about 1½ minutes. Flip the prawns in the pan and add garlic, jalapeño, shiso leaf and orange zest. Once the garlic is toasted, remove from the heat.

Plate cooked prawns over a 3-ounce pool of the oyster aioli and garnish with the crispy shiso, garlic chips and jalapeños. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse sea salt to finish.

FOR OYSTER-SHISO AIOLI

In a blender, add shiso, cilantro, oysters, lime juice and kosher salt. Blend on medium speed until the oysters and herbs are pureed smooth. Drizzle in grape seed oil until you have achieved a bright green, tangy and vibrant emulsification. Taste and adjust the salt and acidity level as necessary.