Prawn and Scallop Orzo
You know when you try a dish and then just think about it constantly afterwards, well this dish is my Roman Empire. Inspired by a dish I had during a visit to Cyprus earlier this year - a delicious seafood orzo made with a splash of ouzo with a beautifully rich sauce, I knew I had to recreate it!
I love making a prawn stock from scratch to build the base of a pasta sauce, which is exactly what we do here. Then we throw in some roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic and end up with a light sauce that packs a punch. I really like using ouzo to deglaze the pan and bring a sort of alla vodka vibe to the palate - but you could omit this step if you can’t find ouzo or don’t fancy using it, of course.
This recipe was developed for, and kindly sponsored by Our Place and made using their fab range of non-toxic cookware.
Prawn and Scallop Orzo
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the prawn stock
500g prawns, shells removed, de-veined/cleaned - reserve the meat for the orzo
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped (save the fennel fronds!)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 bay leaves
For the orzo
Extra virgin olive oil
250g cherry tomatoes
1 garlic bulb, cut in half
1 shallot, finely diced
1 red chill, sliced into rounds
40ml ouzo
340g orzo pasta
Reserved meat from the prawns, cut into small pieces
8-12 scallops
Couple of sprigs of fresh oregano
Method
To make the stock, place the prawn heads and shells in a large pot, along with all of the other ingredients. Fill with water until everything is just covered and place over a medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for one hour.
Strain the stock into a smaller pot and keep warm.
Meanwhile, roast the cherry tomatoes and garlic with a good drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt, for 30 minutes at 180c/350f - set aside.
To make the orzo, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, then sauté the diced shallot and chilli. Deglaze the pan with the ouzo and let the alcohol cook out, before adding the roasted tomatoes and garlic (which you can squeeze out of its skin!).
Add the orzo and give everything a good stir, then add enough of the prawn stock to cover with 1-2cm above the orzo. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, according to packet instructions (about 12-15 min depending on the brand and size of the orzo). Add small ladles of stock as needed if it looks to be drying out.
A couple of minutes before the orzo is done, stir through the reserved prawn meat and allow this to gently poach in the pasta.
Remove from the heat and set aside to rest while you cook the scallops. Make sure you thoroughly pat them dry before cooking.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, then when very hot add the scallops and don’t touch them. Let them cook for 2 minutes before turning and cooking for another minute or so.
Top the orzo with the scallops, then garnish with the reserved fennel fronds and fresh oregano.
