Hail To the Chef
Magickal Recipes of Ron Miller
reprinted from the Compost NewsLetter
[These recipes appeared in the Compost NewsLetter during 1990-92, while Ron was the executive chef of the Ristorante Donatello in San Francisco. All Magickal interpretations and comments are by Valerie Walker.]
Tagliolini with Prawns, Scallops, and Mussels in a Light Lemon Sauce
12 oz. fresh tagliolini
12 medium prawns, peeled and deveined
6 large sea scallops, the mussel attachment removed and cut into two pieces
12 fresh mussels, washed and the beard removed
2 lemons
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups fish broth or canned clam juice
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or lemon thyme
(Note: This recipe is for appetizer size portions. For main course, double the recipe. Good quality fresh pasta can be bought in most supermarkets or specialty food shops.)
To make the sauce:
With a vegetable peeler peel the zest of one lemon. Put into a two quart sauce pan with the juice of both lemons and the white wine. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add the fish broth or clam juice and bring to a boil. To make a beurre manie soften one tablespoon of butter in a small bowl and knead in the flour until a smooth paste is formed. Whip the paste to the boiling sauce a little at a time. The sauce should not appear to be thickened. The beurre manie is there to "capture" the butter we will add when the dish is finished. Simmer the sauce an additional ten minutes, strain and reserve until ready to serve.
To assemble the dish:
In a large covered skillet, bring the sauce to a boil with the diced tomato, chopped thyme and the mussels. Cook for one minute or until the mussels have opened. Add the prawns and scallops. Cook for two minutes, turn the prawns and scallops over and cook an additional two minutes. Do not overcook or the shellfish will become dry and tough.
Cook the pasta in a large quantity of lightly salted boiling water. The pasta will take from 1 to 5 minutes to cook, depending on how fresh it is.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the skillet with the shellfish. Mix briefly, then divide the pasta among four warm plates. Arrange the shellfish around the pasta. Pour the sauce over the pasta. Garnish with a sprig of parsley and serve.
The Chef