Fettuccine with fennel and prawns
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Loading... - Tristan Lahm
- 16 Feb 2021
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The recipe
Slice 2 medium-sized fennel bulbs in half and then into thin slices. Melt 30g of butter and warm in a deep-sided shallow pan with 3 tbsp of olive oil. Add the fennel and the juice from half a lemon. Cover with a lid and leave to cook over a low to moderate heat for a good 20 minutes, until the fennel is soft and translucent. An occasional stir is all to the good.
Roughly chop a handful of dill. Bring a deep pan of salted water to the boil. Peel and very finely slice 2 cloves of garlic, then add them to the fennel after 15 minutes. Rinse and dry 6-8 large prawns, then add them to the fennel. Let the prawns steam for 3-4 minutes. They are done once their shells have turned pink.
Drop 150g of fettuccine or tagliatelle into the boiling salted water. Pour 250ml of double cream into the fennel and stir gently, removing from the heat as soon as it is hot. Drain the pasta and toss with the fennel, prawns and cream. Divide between 2 plates, finishing the dish with a fine grating of lemon zest, the dill and a grinding of black pepper.
The trick
Fennel’s strident aniseed notes are softened by long cooking. As the slices of fennel cook, keep the heat low and let them become completely soft, translucent and mildly flavoured before adding the prawns.
The twist
Shelled mussels make a fine alternative to the cooked prawns in this recipe. They need only to be steamed until their shells open, the shellfish removed then added to the softened fennel. They require only a minute’s cooking, so best to add them after the cream.
