Pici with Artichokes, Prawns and Shellfish Oil
Serves 6
For Pici:
40g Semola Macini
40g spelt flour
120g plain flour
4g salt – Olsson’s Sea Salt
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil – Alto Olives
100g slightly warm water
For the Globe Artichokes and Prawns:
4-6 each globe artichokes – Block 11
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil – Alto Olivea
1 shallot, finely chopped – Block 11
2 cloves of garlic, minced – Block 11
bunch parsley, finely chopped – Kurrawong Organics
bunch mint, finely chopped – Darling Mills Farm
3 anchovies
25ml white wine
A pinch of lemon thyme – Darling Mills Farm
12 king prawns, shelled – Fish Butchery
25g Pecorino
Pepper & Salt to taste – Olsson’s Sea Salt
White sesame to serve
For the Shellfish Oil:
12 king prawn heads and shells – Fish Butchery
40g grapeseed oil
10g tomato paste
1 brown onion, diced – Block 11
1 carrot, diced – Block 11
1 stick celery, diced – A&W Muscat
2 cloves garlic, minced – Block 11
A knob of ginger, minced – Food by Fiat
100ml water
A pinch of lemon thyme – Darling Mills Farm
1 bay leaf – Spice Zen
A handful of chopped parsley – Kurrawong Organics
1 star anise – Spice Zen
1tsp coriander seeds – Spice Zen
1 cardamon pod – Spice Zen
1tsp peppercorns – Spice Zen
20ml of brandy
A pinch of shio kombu
Method:
First prepare the Shellfish Oil. Toast the prawn shells and heads in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. In a large pot heat a bit of the oil, add the vegetables and the tomato paste, and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the roasted shells and deglaze with the brandy. Add all the remaining ingredients and oil. Cook for about 30min until all the water has evaporated. Let the oil cool down and pass through a muslin cloth. Refrigerate it after.
Then prepare the dough. Mix all the dry ingredients in a stand mixer equipped with a hook attachment, slowly add water until you reach firm but bouncy texture. Rest covered for 2 hours.
Trim away the tough outer layer of the artichokes to expose the tender inner leaves and heart. Using a spoon, scrape out the choke in the centre of the heart.
In a pot add olive oil, shallot, garlic, parsley, mint and 2 chopped anchovies. Heat up the oil, arrange the artichokes in the pot so that they sit with the stem sides up, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the artichokes are fork tender. Reserve the cooking liquid for the pasta sauce and chop the artichokes into bite size pieces.
Heat two tbsp of olive oil in a pan, add a 1 chopped anchovy until lightly cooked. Deglaze with white wine, add a pinch of lemon thyme and the cooked artichokes, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid.
Cook the pici in seasoned boiling water, strain the pici once cooked and add them to the sauce in the pan. Add the prawns and cook for 2-3min adding some of the reserved liquid to emulsify the sauce if needed.
Remove the pan from the heat and add 25g of grated Pecorino and a pinch of chopped mint.
Finish with two pinches of toasted white sesame and the shellfish oil to serve.
This recipe was cooked on equipment and appliances by Carriageworks Partner Smeg Australia by Federico Zanellato at the Carriageworks Farmers Market, Sat 3 August.
All ingredients available at the Carriageworks Farmers Market every Saturday.