Prawn Ravioli with Seafood Bisque, Bug Tail and Prawn Oil

By vegar

Ingredients

• Ravioli:
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil, plus extra to taste
• 3 Balmain bugs, peeled, shells reserved
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 small fennel, chopped, fronds reserved
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) white wine
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) ouzo
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) fish stock
• 150 g (1 cup) plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 12 prawns, peeled, shells reserved
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fennel fronds
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) thickened cream
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped dill

Preparation

Step 1

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook bug shells for 5 minutes until fragrant. Add tomato, onion, garlic and fennel, and cook for 8 minutes until softened, stirring regularly.
2.Add tomato paste, wine, ouzo and fish stock. Simmer for 5 minutes, then strain through a sieve lined with muslin cloth, set inside a bowl. Set aside until needed. Reheat before serving.
3.For the ravioli, using an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix flour and eggs to form a dough. Knead for 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest.
4.Place half of the prawns in a blender or small food processor with fennel fronds, cream and egg white and process to a smooth mousse. Transfer to a bowl.
5.Roughly chop remaining prawns, and add to bowl together with parsley and dill, stirring to combine.
6.Set a pasta machine to the widest setting and lightly dust pasta dough and rollers with flour. Dusting with flour throughout, feed dough through the machine, folding the pasta in half before feeding it through until you have a well-combined and strong sheet. Gradually narrow settings until the dough is about 1mm-thick. Cut out rounds from pasta sheets using a 7cm pastry cutter. Place 1 tablespoon of prawn mixture onto half of the rounds, then cover with remaining pasta rounds. Brush edges with water, pressing together to seal, ensuring there are no air pockets.
7.Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook ravioli for about 2-3 minutes until al dente.
8.Meanwhile, for the prawn oil, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan over high heat. Cook prawns shells for about 4 minutes until fragrant, stirring constantly. Cover with olive oil, and sit over very low heat for 15-20 minutes to allow flavours to infuse. Remove from heat, strain through a fine sieve.
9.For the bug tails, heat 2 tablespoons prawn oil over medium heat. Cook tails until lightly golden and just cooked, lightly basting the tails with the oil. Season to taste.
10.To serve, divide ravioli among bowls, pour in hot bisque, place bug tails on top, and drizzle with prawn oil.