So many secrets from the French master: the addition of crème fraîche (a typical cream-based preparation), the flicker of lemon and the freshness of “market herbs.” All for a textbook result.
Photographs by Cristian Barnett/PA
Recipe from “Michel Roux at Home -my favorite recipes for family and friends”
Pasta according to a great French chef: Michel Roux Jr.
Seafood cuisine is not made of spaghetti with clams alone! Every gastronome retains the memory of seafood dishes seasoned with special “domestic” accouterments, which are joined from time to time by modern techniques. Thus, a master like Michel Roux Jr. came up with the idea of using seafood to embellish enjoyable homemade noodles. To be exact, the former chef-patron of Le Gavroche (founded by his father and uncle in 1967 and closed about a year ago), chooses a trio of clams, mussels and shrimp, perfumed with aromatic herbs and enriched with crème fraîche for a silky plus (be careful not to confuse it with sour cream, which has a lower fat content; in crème fraîche they are around 30-40%). Brief intro needed: although we often tend to say otherwise, fresh pasta is held in high esteem beyond the Alps.
“If we think about the South of France and, in general, the entire Mediterranean basin, we cannot help but notice how widespread it is in those areas,” Roux explains to the Irish Examiner newspaper. “And if we then go further into the North and Northeast, there too it will happen to come across authentic handmade formats: the first one typical of the Peninsula is beloved by the French and I have been enjoying it since childhood.” No surprise, then, that the book “Michel Roux at Home -my favorite recipes for family and friends ” includes creamy onion tagliatelle and linguine with olives, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs.
True French cuisine beyond the false myths
Another myth to dispel is the alleged complexity of French recipes: “I would like to specify that in reality authentic foods are not overly elaborate; we are talking about homemade dishes that everyone can bring to the table with a minimum of dexterity. Same goes for 'heaviness' and the overuse of butter: a false belief. In its essence, our culinary repertoire is quite simple and akin to the Italian regional tradition." The trait d'union lies in the direct sourcing of seasonal delicacies: “When I have to prepare for a day at the stove, I very rarely go to the supermarket (unless I have to buy dishwashing liquid!) In my village in the South of France, we go to the market together every day and carefully select fresh foods offered by small producers: we buy only what we touch with our hands.” So, back to the recipe: Roux reduces the preparation time to just 30 minutes and advocates the inclusion of fennel seeds and lemon, to balance the succulence of the dish with a discreet freshness. On the finish, you can pepper it to your liking; the important thing is to serve the noodles hot and pay attention to the vegetable blend composed of parsley, chives and chervil: a signature mix that will turn your lunch around!
Michel Roux Jr.'s Fish Tagliolini Recipe
Servings for 2 servings
Ingredients
- 400 g clams
- 500 g mussels
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 chopped shallot
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 50 ml of pastis
- 150 g shelled raw shrimp
- 4 tablespoons of Crème fraîche (you can also make it at home with cream, yogurt and lemon/vinegar to curdle the mixture)
- 300 g fresh tagliolini or 180 g dried tagliolini or noodles
- A handful of herbs (parsley, chives, chervil), finely chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and black pepper
Procedure
Wash the clams and mussels well in cold water and discard any that are broken or do not hatch. Remove any 'stubble' from the mussels.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet; add the shallots, fennel seeds and garlic and sauté until they begin to color. Add the clams, then the mussels. Pour in the pastis, cover the pan and leave on the heat for five to seven minutes until all the shells have opened. Be careful not to overcook the shellfish.
Pour everything into a colander placed over a bowl, then strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve or muslin-lined strainer. Scoop out the fruit from the mussels and clams, leaving some in the shell to use as a garnish. Pour the cooking liquid into the pan, bring to a boil and let it go for five minutes. Add the shrimp and crème fraîche, then, when the shrimp have turned pink, add the mussels and clams.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and pour in two tablespoons of salt. Cook the pasta until al dente, then quickly. Add the pasta to the pot of shellfish and mix well. Add the chopped herbs and garnish with some mussels and clams with the shells on. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Credits:
Michel Roux At Home by Michel Roux, published by Seven Dials.
