linguine in salsa di aglio nero con gamberoni e olive nere
linguine in black garlic and leek sauce with anchovies, kalamata olives and prawns
I’ve felt obliged to jump on the black garlic band wagon for a couple of reasons. First, it’s an ingredient that’s been gaining in popularity over recent years and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about... and second, my wife’s family live on the Isle of Wight, where the excelent Isle of Wight Garlic Farm in Knighton supplies all kinds of garlic products, including black garlic.
For the uninitiated, black garlic is garlic that’s been heat-aged and cooked very slowly, over a number of weeks. This process turns white garlic cloves black and gives them a unique, sweet and syrupy flavour, tasting only very slightly of garlic. Black garlic can be bought as cloves or a ready prepared paste. It’s a niche ingredient but really useful to have in the fridge to add an extre level of flavour to pasta.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO
(scroll down for the full method)
chop the leeks and make the sauce
sear the prawns
boil the pasta
combine and plate
linguine in black garlic and leek sauce with anchovies, kalamata olives and prawns
INGREDIENTS
FOR FOUR PEOPLE
• 2 large handfuls king prawns
• black garlic paste
• 1-2 handfuls kalamata olives
• 1 medium leek
• white wine
• crushed pistacchio nuts
• freshly grated black / cayenne pepper
PASTA
400g (14oz) dry linguine
MANTECATURA
light to moderate
METHOD
Begin by finely slicing a leek and cooking it gently in EVO and a splash of white wine, the anchovy fillet and stoned kalamata olives that you’ve cut in two. Even better if you do this in a tossing pan for pasta. Let the leek become completly tender and then stir in a 1-2 tablespoons of black garlic to make a sauce. Set it aside.
While the sauce is cooking, de-vein the prowns and put the pasta water on to boil, then begin to heat a heavy iron pan that’s been wiped with EVO. It needs to get to the temperature of the sun... or at least to a point where the oil starts to smoke. Next, sear the prawns by allowing them to rest on one side in the pan. Don’t move them around at all. As you see them change colour to about half their thickness, turn off the heat and with a fish slice turn the prawns over. Allow them to cook in the residual heat in the pan.
When the pasta’s done to your liking (I prefer a slghlty softer, chewier side of ‘al dente’) fish it out of the boiling pan and transfer it to the tossing pan with the sauce in it. Add a ladle of water and on a medium heat toss to create a silky glaze to the pasta. When you’re about 30 sec away from bing done, throw in the prawns and plate immediately.
Sprinkle each serving with crushed pistacchio kernels and black or cayenne pepper.
NUTRITION per serving
KCAL: 504
Fat (g): 10.2
Sat Fat (g): 1.4
Carb (g): 72.6
Sug (g): 5.6
Fibre(g): 5.1
Prot (g): 24.0
Salt (g): 1.41
Nutritional information is provided as an indication only of approximate values for the recipe on this page. You should make your own calculations if you have specific dietry requirements or are required to follow a strict calorie-controlled diet.
