Prawn Raviolo, Bisque

Introduction

Making pasta is a project for a whole morning or afternoon. It is intricate, with several secrets so the dough is firm yet still succulent. In this recipe I share them all, step by step, to make the most elegant of shapes: a magnificent raviolo. Even so, the real star is the bisque—a prawn soup so full of flavour it rhymes with love and passion.

Instructions

For the bisque:

1. Shell the prawns, reserving the meat.

2. In a wide frying pan, heat olive oil. When very hot over high heat, add the shells and heads.

3. Crush the heads well with a spoon to release flavour.

4. Deglaze with Port and tilt the pan toward the flame to flambé. Let the flames die down on their own.

5. Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil.

6. Score an X in the base of the tomato and blanch for 20 seconds.

7. Transfer immediately to a bowl of iced water to stop cooking.

8. Peel the tomato, quarter it and remove the seeds.

9. Cut the tomato, carrot, onion, garlic, celery, leek and potato into small pieces. Reserve a small piece of one leek leaf.

10. Halve the chilli, remove the seeds and chop small.

11. Add a drizzle of oil to a hot pot.

12. Add the onion, carrot, celery and leek. Sweat briefly; when the onion is more translucent, add the garlic.

13. Add the prawn shells and stir. Let everything reduce.

14. Dilute the tomato paste in a bowl with white wine.

15. Add the potato, chilli, tomato and tomato paste mixture to the pot. Stir and reduce a little longer.

16. Make a bouquet garni: on the small piece of leek leaf, place the parsley, coriander, thyme and bay. Close the leaf and tie with kitchen string.

17. Add the bouquet to the pot and cover with just enough water.

18. Season with pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, Worcestershire and salt. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes.

19. Blend the stock until smooth.

20. Pass the bisque through a chinois for a velvety cream. Set aside.

For the ravioli dough:

1. Sift the flour into a food processor. Add the eggs and yolks.

2. Steep a few saffron threads in cold water until yellow. Strain.

3. Add oil and fleur de sel to the processor. Blitz, adding 1 tbsp saffron water gradually. When a ball forms, stop. If it stays dry and won’t come together, add a little more water.

4. Wrap the dough in cling film, place in a bowl covered with a cloth, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

5. Roll the sfoglia: dust a marble or wooden board and your rolling pin with flour. Flatten the ball slightly and open it a little with the pin. Cut off a generous piece and pass it through a pasta machine on setting 0 once or twice.

6. Move to setting 1 and pass again. Fold in half and repeat. Fold again if needed and repeat once more.

7. Go to setting 2 and repeat as before. Do the same on 3.

8. On setting 4, no need to fold; pass once or twice and move on.

9. After setting 6, stop. You can do this by hand with a pin only, rolling evenly until thin enough to see the shadow of your hand through the dough. If it gets too long, cut in half, cover the rest with a cloth on a lightly floured surface.

For the ravioli filling:

1. Quickly sauté the prawns in oil, sliced garlic, a pinch of smoked paprika and fleur de sel. When coloured on both sides, turn off—they finish cooking in the ravioli.

2. Dice the prawns quite small and tip into a bowl.

3. Mix in ricotta, soy sauce, lemon zest, chives, pepper and fleur de sel.

4. If you haven’t already, cut the dough into at least two long strips.

5. On one strip, place heaped tablespoonfuls of filling, spaced apart.

6. Dampen the gaps between ravioli and around each mound with a wet finger.

7. Lay the second strip on top, aligned.

8. With your hands, shape the ravioli, pressing gently around each filling to expel air. Seal the edges well.

9. With a pasta cutter, cut oval or square ravioli. As you cut, transfer them to a cloth-lined tray.

10. Bring a pot of water to the boil with a drizzle of oil and a generous handful of salt.

11. Lower 2 or 3 ravioli in carefully. Cook about 4 minutes—they should float and not burst. Repeat with the rest.

To serve:

1. In a wide plate, place 1 raviolo. Ladle 2 spoonfuls of bisque around it. Scatter chives or parsley.