Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia
Rebirthing with squid ink pasta..
This was a time when in NZ we weren't really cooking with cockles..as a child my parents would send me out with a bucket and a spade at low tide to collect 'pipis.' As a parent now I understand their clever 'time out' from children tactic. I would wade around ankle deep until my bucket flowed over. Back at home with my full bucket my mother would throw out all the cockles ( apparently they were " polluted"), steam open the pipis serve them in a cold salad with vinaigrette,red onion rings and lashings of chopped parsley.
Back to the 80's in Gabrielle's kitchen..I watched my friend steam open kilos of cockles in white wine and garlic and serve them in their shells over fresh spaghetti. I sat back and watched my otherwise careful swiss friends eat, waiting for them to show signs of pollution induced food poisoning..they only ate more and more. I decided to risk my life too. I had never savoured a shell fish preparation quite so delicate and comforting. My fear of cockles instantly disappearing!
This evening I am going to marry my dear friend's recipe with my shining squid ink spaghetti.
Squid Ink Spaghetti with Cockles
for 4
1.5 kg cockles (or mussels)
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/2 bottle dry white wine
Black pepper
Bunch of parsley, chopped
Clean shellfish.
Put in a large pan, with 2 cloves garlic and wine. Steam open. Set aside.
Cook spaghetti.
In the meantime, gently fry other 2 cloves of garlic in olive oil, add half of strained cooking juices from steamed shellfish. Boil hard until reduced by about half, then add shellfish to heat through.
Drain spaghetti, cover with shellfish and juices. Sprinkle over parsley. Serve immediately with a great dry white wine and loads of crusty bread to wipe up juices. Avoid grated parmesan as it will detract from taste.
It has taken me back to my ephinany with cockles in Geneva in Italian friend Gabrielle's kitchen over 20 years ago.I was given some Squid Ink Spaghetti last week. I have been admiring it in its Italian packaging and pondering over how to "put it into value."
This was a time when in NZ we weren't really cooking with cockles..as a child my parents would send me out with a bucket and a spade at low tide to collect 'pipis.' As a parent now I understand their clever 'time out' from children tactic. I would wade around ankle deep until my bucket flowed over. Back at home with my full bucket my mother would throw out all the cockles ( apparently they were " polluted"), steam open the pipis serve them in a cold salad with vinaigrette,red onion rings and lashings of chopped parsley.
This evening I am going to marry my dear friend's recipe with my shining squid ink spaghetti.
Squid Ink Spaghetti with Cockles
for 4
1.5 kg cockles (or mussels)
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/2 bottle dry white wine
Black pepper
Bunch of parsley, chopped
Clean shellfish.
Put in a large pan, with 2 cloves garlic and wine. Steam open. Set aside.
Cook spaghetti.
In the meantime, gently fry other 2 cloves of garlic in olive oil, add half of strained cooking juices from steamed shellfish. Boil hard until reduced by about half, then add shellfish to heat through.
Drain spaghetti, cover with shellfish and juices. Sprinkle over parsley. Serve immediately with a great dry white wine and loads of crusty bread to wipe up juices. Avoid grated parmesan as it will detract from taste.
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Would just like to add that the squid ink pasta and cockles married well...mmmmmmmmm. Was worried about fishy-fallout but was simply delicious and I travelled back in time to my "even younger" days in Geneva.
ReplyDeleteSquid Ink Spaghetti recipe is quite something!We found cockles at the market and I decided to try your recipe. We licked our dishes. Thanks Suzy.
ReplyDelete