The year is galloping by now, and we find ourselves approaching the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. With shorter days, daily stresses, and cooler weather, the week’s can sometimes be challenging. It is important to nourish your body, mind and soul with moments of self-care and kindness. Comfort food and an exceptional glass of quality South African wine warms not only the tummy, but the heart. Put the things causing you stress to the side, and take a moment for yourself to prepare a special meal to enjoy with someone close to you. The act of cooking is an act of love, and connects us to the earth through the ingredients, ourselves through a focused task, and each other over a meal shared.
Executive Chef for Brookdale Estate, Gary Coetzee, is sharing one of his favourite, heart-warming homemade pasta recipes with prawns and tagliatelle, perfectly paired with Brookdale Chenin Blanc. May it bring comfort, flavour and a moment together.
CHEF GARY COETZEE’S PRAWN TAGLIATELLE
Serves 4 | Pair with Brookdale Chenin Blanc
PRAWN PASTA – THE DOUGH
INGREDIENTS
400g “00” flour
3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs salt
METHOD
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until a dough has formed. OR
Place flour on a counter, sprinkle salt and combine.
Make a well in the centre of the flour, and add the wet ingredients.
Gently start stirring in the flour towards the outer edges, being careful not to break the well once a dough starts forming.
Once combined, knead well until a smooth dough has formed.
Wrap the dough in clingfilm and allow to rest for an hour in a cool environment.
PRAWN BUTTER
INGREDIENTS
16-20 Argentinian or Black Tiger prawns (heads & shells)
2 cloves of garlic
½ small onion roughly chopped
lemon
200g butter
METHOD
Shell and devein the prawns, keeping the prawn tails on the side to fry later.
In a saucepan over neutral heat, add a splash of neutral oil.
Add the prawn shells and heads and sauté until they are nicely covered (reddish orange)
Add the onions and two cloves of garlic and reduce the heat.
Once the onions are translucent, add the butter and allow to infuse the flavours taking care not to burn the butter.
Add a splash of lemon and season with salt as desired.
Strain and set aside.
CHENIN BLANC CREAM
INGREDIENTS
½ brown onion chopped
2 fennel fronds chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
1 cup fish stock
1 ½ cups cream
METHOD
Sauté the vegetables in a little butter over medium heat in a sauce pan.
Add the Chenin and reduce to half.
Add the fish stock and reduce the total volume to a third.
Add the cream and reduce until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Season and set aside.
TO MAKE THE PASTA
Roll the pasta dough through the pasta machine on the first setting a couple of times until it gets a smooth velvety feel.
Then through the rest of the settings, I like a slightly thicker pasta.
Stop on the second last setting.
Roll the pasta through the tagliatelle attachment.
Dust with some flour and set aside.
When ready to serve, blanch the pasta in salty boiling water until al dente and strain.
THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Heat the Chenin Blanc sauce gently and sauté the prawn tails and meat from earlier over high heat in a separate pan.
Reduce the heat when nearly cooked and add the prawn butter, salt and pepper.
In a bowl, toss the pasta with half of the Chenin Blanc sauce, season to taste, serve.
Top with the prawns, drizzle over with sauce and add a small dollop of prawn butter.
