Wednesday 27 August 2008

Seafood Spaghetti

Seafood Spaghetti

With another 2 basa fillets sitting in the fridge waiting to be cooked, I decided to pair them up with other bits and bobs that I needed to use up - some prawns (another buy one, get one free offer from Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range... ha I'm a shameless bargain hunter) and some tinned razor clams that a colleague very sweetly brought back for me from Spain - to make a quick weekday dinner of seafood pasta.

Seafood Spaghetti
Your choice of seafood - I used white fish fillets cut into chunks, peeled prawns and tinned razor clams
Fresh tomatoes - de-seeded and cut into small chunks
Olive oil
Garlic
Small knob of tomato paste
White wine
Fish stock - perhaps a bit of an extravagance if you don't have a large pot of fish bones simmering on the stove but I picked up a packet of this stuff ages ago (yes, another bargain find) and it really does make a difference to the overall dish.
Basil - I used Thai sweet basil as I had it in the fridge but the normal stuff is great too
  • Boil the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet
  • In a large pan, heat up some olive oil on a medium heat. Add the garlic and let it sweat for a few seconds but careful it does not to let it colour.
  • Add the tomatoes into the pan and cook them until they are almost broken down. Add the tomato paste and cook for a few seconds.
  • Pour in the wine and let the alcohol cook off. Pour in the fish stock and bring to a simmer. Put the fish gently gently into the pan and make sure they are evenly scattered throughout. Let them cook for a few minutes.
  • As the fish is about done, add the prawns, which only need warming through, and the razor clams. I added the liquid from the tinned clams as well. They contain all the yummy saltiness of the clams.
  • Bring the pan to a simmer and ensure that everything in the pan is properly heated through. Season.
  • Serve with the spaghetti and a sprinkling of torn basil leaves.
Verdict?
The basa fillets are definitely more suited for steaming with ginger and soy sauce or perhaps with lemongrass, lime juice and chili or even pan fried with a dash of soy sauce. The 'freshwater taste' came through quite strongly in this dish and was a little out of place. Otherwise the dish was very tasty and perhaps a tad extravagant for a midweek dinner but it's easy to put together if you have a few bits and bobs lying around, like I did. But maybe the addition of some chili would liven things up a little?

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