All posts tagged: seafood

Canapé Gaudi

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Nothing prepares you for the sight of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. You have seen pictures and documentaries about this unfinished cathedral, but the scale of its surreality hits you in the face, no matter the sheer number of tourists flocking to take their selfies. It is surreal in the sense of Salvador Dali, but on a giant scale, an extravaganza of architectural components, not unlike exotic fruits, that somehow fit together to something bigger than the parts. And what a great introduction to the Spanish cuisine. At its best is it not a combination of heterogeneous ingredients exploding in the palate? Inspired from tapas based on tinned seafood served in Quimet & Quimet, here is a not so obvious canapé. Greek strained yogurt and thinly sliced smoked salmon on top of your preferred crackers, drizzled with truffled honey and glazed balsamic vinegar. Enjoy with a glass of sauvignon blanc!  

shrimp, artichoke and feta pasta sauce

Shrimp, Artichoke and Feta Pasta Sauce

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Did you have a frantic Saturday? Are you dreaming of a glass of New Zealand sauvignon blanc and a quiet evening at home? If yes why not prepare some pasta with this easy and festive sauce? I found it in my mother-in-law’s handwritten recipe book and can see why this is one of my husband’s favourites. Just be cautious to use the most tender artichokes you can find, because otherwise they can destroy the dish (and give anybody a reason to complain…) Serves 4 500g linguine or other long pasta 500g  raw shelled frozen shrimps, very well defrosted 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional) 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1 Tbsp ouzo 1 cup jarred marinated artichoke hearts in olive oil, drained and quartered 250g tomatoes, blanched, peeled and pureed (or grated canned tomatoes) 1/4 tsp sugar (optional, depending on the acidity of the tomatoes) 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped (plus some more for garnishing) 1 pinch of dried oregano 1 Tbsp lemon zest 1 cup feta cheese, cut in 1cm cubes sea salt and …

langoustine and shrimp giouvetsi

Shrimp and Langoustine Giouvetsi

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Giouvetsi is a typical Sunday dish. It is usually  beef cooked with orzo in a clay pot, and one of the horrors of my childhood. I could not stand the slippery texture of it, or the suspicious sense of ‘comfort’ it was supposed to convey. As a famous greek dish, giouvetsi is of course appreciated by many, but I, as a grown up never looked back or tried to compromise! So I was reluctant to try this ‘seafood’ giouvetsi, in one of our favourite seafood restaurants. It turned out however that this is a giouvetsi only by name; it tastes more like a risotto. We have tried to reverse- engineer the recipe and this is the variant we use. (Adapted from a recipe by Argiro Barbarigou) Serves 3-4 For the giouvetsi 500g langoustines or shrimps (or both), shelled and deveined 1/2 cup olive oil 1 carrot (80g), cut into small cubes 1 courgette (80g),cut into small cubes 1 onion (100g), cut into small cubes 1 garlic clove, finely sliced 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 tomatoes (200g), blanched, peeled …