VODKA AND SPICY TOMATO-CREAM SAUCE WITH PENNE, KING CRAB LEGS AND SHRIMPS

This is another one of those dishes from the cupboard that I like to revisit from time to time. 

Back in 1993, Patricia Wells' recipe for Penne with Vodka and Spicy Tomato-Cream Sauce (Penne alla Bettola) from her cookbook TRATTORIA was published in The New York Times.  Although it has been more than 20 years, I still have the tattered and stained article.  I kept it for memorabilia purposes.  All, or most, of those recipes from the past are now in the computer, but many of the original paper documents have been saved as well.

For this recipe most of the ingredients are always on-hand, with the exception of the light cream and fresh parsley, which is a quick stop at the market.  And with cooked frozen shrimps and king crab legs in the freezer, it was a very simple dish to make.

I've always made the vodka sauce separately and serve it over pasta instead of combining the sauce with the pasta as the recipe notes.  This way, extra sauce is always available for at least one-two days.  Since there is cream in the sauce, it will not freeze well.   

Also, I like to add shrimps and/or king crab legs as a protein.  The creaminess and touch of heat from the sauce is a great accompaniment to the subtle brininess of the shrimps and the sweetness of the crab.  Over the years, I've used uncooked shrimps where I peeled, deveined and added them at the end to cook in the sauce.  And more recently, I tried the frozen, pre-cooked shrimps where they just need to be thawed, drained and then warmed in the sauce at the end.  The king crab legs are already cooked and frozen, so thawing and steaming is the only prep needed for them.

Cooked, Frozen Shrimps

Steamed King Crab Legs

1/2 pound penne pasta
2 Tablespoons salt for penne
1/4 cup Olive Oil
5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 tsp Pepperoncino or Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Vodka
1/2 cup Light Cream
1/4 cup Parsley, Chopped
6-8 Shrimps (U 12/15)*
3 King Crab Legs, halved**

Add the penne to a large pot of salted water and cook until the penne are al dente.

While the penne is cooking, combine the oil, garlic, pepperoncino in a medium (4-quart) sauce pan.  Cook over moderate heat until the garlic turns golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes with their juices. Stir to blend and simmer, covered, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes.  Add the vodka to the pan.  Separately, add about a tablespoon of the sauce to the light cream and stir the mixture slightly before adding the cream into the pan.  Let sauce cook for about 3-4 minutes.  Add the shrimps to cook/warm through.  Let sauce rest for about 5 minutes. 

Spoon the sauce and shrimps over cooked pasta and mix.  Place crab legs on top with a drizzle of more sauce.  Garnish with chopped parsley.  Serve immediately.

* If using uncooked shrimp, they should be peeled, deveined and then added to the sauce for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.  If shrimps are already cooked and frozen, thaw them thoroughly, drain and add shrimps to the sauce to warm completely. 

**King Crab Legs that are cooked and frozen should be thawed completely, either overnight in the refrigerator, or placed in cold water that is changed every 20-30 minutes for about 1-2 hours (depending on the size of the crab legs).  Then the legs should be steamed for about 10 minutes.

 

Vodka Sauce with King Crab Legs and Shrimps over Penne

 

Served With Shrimps Over Black and Pink  Fettuccine; Circa 1998

 

CALAMARI STUFFED WITH SHRIMPS AND SPINACH

Stuffed Calamari

The first time I made stuffed calamari was several years ago for some friends who make the dish all the time.  It was perfect and since then, I've been making stuffed calamari from time to time.  I like this dish, which is adapted from Chef Anne Burrell's book, Cook Like a Rock Star.  I only use shrimps and fresh spinach for the stuffing.  I then make a light tomato sauce topping and serve the stuffed calamari with pasta. I like to serve it with a black and white spaghetti combination or just plain pasta. Today, I made it with a side of black penne.

Something about calamari and black pasta just does it for me.  I love black pasta, which is made with the ink of the calamari, so the dish works well together.  Back in the day, it was not as available as it is now where it is found in virtually every specialty store.

For the Stuffed Calamari:
1pound clean medium calamari tubes, about 5 to 6 inches long
1/2 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimps
4 garlic cloves, smashed and coarsely chopped
2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped (no stems)
1 egg
1/2 to 3/4 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
0.125 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Stainless steel cocktail picks (or toothpicks)

Shrimps and Spinach Stuffing

For the sauce:

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup onions, finely diced
0.125 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
0.125 tsp Kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
3/4 cup dry red wine
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes



Stuffed Calamari in Sauce

To make the stuffed calamari:
Roughly chop the shrimps and garlic. Add to food processor and pulse into a coarse paste. Remove to a large bowl and add the spinach, egg, panko, cheese, and red pepper. Season with salt and stir to combine. The mixture should be a little chunky but moist and holding together. Divide the stuffing among the 4 calamari bodies.  Stuff bodies and secure closed with stainless steel cocktail or toothpicks.

To make the sauce:

Coat a large, wide skillet or saucepan with olive oil and add the onions and the crushed red pepper. Season with salt and put the saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onions until they are soft, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half. Puree the tomatoes in a food processor and add them and 1 cup of water to the pan. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.

Add calamari to the pan and cook for 20 to 25 minutes turning them over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the calamari from the pan and remove the picks. Reduce the sauce to thicken, about ten minutes. Arrange the calamari on a plate and cover with sauce.  Serve with pasta.

 

Black Penne and Stuffed Calamari

 

SAUTEED SHRIMPS AND SCALLOPS WITH SAKE GELEE, TAMARI PEARLS AND LEMON FOAM

 A few weeks ago, I saw a television segment where the restaurant served a sake gelee with Alaskan king crab legs.  Immediately, the sake gelee got my attention.  I've made gelees before but never one with sake.  As I started to think what else would go well with this, I figured Tamari "pearls".  And, as a final topping, some lemon foam.  Since I have the Molecule R kit, it was very easy to put all three parts of this dish together.

Although I had a pound of Alaskan king crab legs in my freezer, I opted to make this creation with some beautiful Mediterranean shrimps and bay scallops that I got from my fish monger.  Instead of making individual servings, I combined everything on one platter. 

Sake Gelee:

2 grams Agar-agar
3/4 cup sake
In a pan, mix the agar-agar and sake and bring to a boil.
Pour sake mixture on a plate and swirl it to create a sheet.
Let cool, then refrigerate. When ready to use, cut into pieces.

Tamari Pearls:

1 cup canola oil
2 grams Agar-agar
1/2 cup Tamari (or soy sauce)
Put oil in freezer for one hour.
In a pan mix, the Tamari and Agar-Agar.  Bring to a boil.
Pour tamari/agar-agar mixture into a bowl; fill a pipette or a cooking syringe with mixture and then dribble mixture into the cold oil.  Pearls will form. Then, using a pierced spoon, collect the pearls from the oil and put them in a bowl of water to rinse.  Set aside.

Lemon Foam:

This should be made right before serving since the foam "melts" quickly
1 sachet (2 grams) soy lecithin
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a hand-held blender until stiff foam is formed.  Spoon on dish immediately.

Shrimps and Scallops Cooking

Shrimps and Scallops:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup garlic, minced
1 pound shrimps (U12-15)
3/4 pound dry bay scallops, cut in half at the equator
1 Tablespoon tarragon, for garnish
Heat oil and butter in pan.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add shrimps and scallops and cook for about 2 minutes on one side; turn and continue to cook for another minute until completely done.

To plate: 
Place sake gelee on a plate; add cooked shrimps and scallops.  Sprinkle with Tamari pearls.  Top with Lemon foam and garnish with tarragon.

Finished Dish