Conchiglie frutti di mare – mixed seafood pasta bake

  • medium
  • 8
  • 1 hour 15 minutes
Not yet rated

Hearty and comforting, Galton Blackiston's mixed seafood pasta bake recipe has all the richness of a fish pie, yet with delicious conchiglie shells to hold the creamy pasta sauce. Inspired by classic Italian frutti di mare, Galton uses a range of fish (including haddock, salmon and cod) and seafood (scallops and prawns) to make this pasta bake recipe extra luxurious.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Poached fish

Mixed seafood sauce

Pasta bake

Method

1
Begin by poaching the fish. Combine the smoked haddock, milk, onion and rosemary in a wide pan and place over a medium heat. Poach gently for 3–5 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked
2
Remove the fish with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with the salmon cubes, poaching in the hot milk until just cooked, and again with the cod. Set the fish aside, then strain the milk into a jug and reserve
3
When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin from the haddock and flake into large chunks, reserving with the salmon and cod
4
Place a frying pan over a high heat and add a dash of oil. Once hot, add the scallops and briefly sear on each side until just golden and set aside. Repeat with the monkfish pieces and reserve until required
5
For the sauce, melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for a few minutes to make a roux. Whisk in the reserved poaching milk, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens into a smooth sauce
  • 140g of butter
  • 110g of plain flour
6
Add the whipping cream and continue to stir until fully combined. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the chopped eggs, capers, parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste
7
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
8
Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil over a medium heat. Add the pasta and cook for 10–12 minutes, or until just cooked through. Drain and return to the pan
9
Gently fold the reserved poached haddock, salmon and cod through the pasta, followed by the scallops, monkfish and the prawns
10
Pour in the sauce and mix gently until evenly combined. Transfer the mixture to a large ovenproof dish and scatter over the grated cheese
11
Cook in the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden, bubbling and everything is heated through. Serve immediately

There can't be many Michelin-starred chefs who started out selling homemade cakes, biscuits and preserves on a market stall in Rye in 1979. Yet, the quietly spoken, endearingly eccentric Galton Blackiston isn't like other chefs.

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