Sunday, 9 September 2007

Pasta in white wine sauce and prawns

I have been living in the area of Charlton/Greenwich for two years now and for approximately the same time I have been wondering how to get access to the massive See-Woo cash & carry supermarket just down the road. My new Chinese neighbour recently told me the secret: Just walk in. And indeed: no shopping/access card required, private customers are as welcome as restaurant owners.
The first visit to See-Woo was at least as exciting as a day in Disneyland. You find everything you ever wanted for your Asian cooking, and more. Live lobsters and crabs are one of the highlights... not that I would ever buy any of those. The fresh fish counter however must be one of the best kept secrets in London. Best fish at best prices. The same goes for the frozen fish. squid in all shapes, cuts and sizes; large bags of raw, cooked, peeled or unpeeled prawns for a mere fiver. Goodbye Sainsbury's and Waitrose. When it comes to fish, See-Woo has just gained another loyal customer.

Last time I came back home with a bag of cooked and peeled frozen prawns. Since then, I have been dishing up sweet and sour prawns with onions and peppers, egg fried rice with prawns and pasta in white wine sauce with prawns.

Pasta in white wine sauce and prawns, for 2
: 200g pasta
: 200g cooked and peeled prawns
: 1 medium sized onion, chopped
: 1 tbsp butter
: 150ml white wine
: 100ml single cream
: freshly ground white pepper
: sea salt
: fresh curly parsley, chopped

Cook the pasta according to the instruction on the packet. In the meantime, heat the butter in a pan. When melted, add the chopped onions and cooked them until just soft. Letting them turn brown could end up in the onions overpowering the subtle wine flavour of the sauce.
Add the wine to the sauce and let simmer for one or two minutes, then add the cream and let it simmer a little more.

Drain the pasta once it's ready. Set aside for a minute while you add the prawns to the sauce. Remember, they are already cooked, so you do not want to cook them anymore. So let them just heat through in the warm sauce for a minute. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then add the pasta. Make sure all the pasta is covered with sauce. Finish off with a sprinkle of parsley and serve immediately.

No comments: