prawns with fennel & brandy

this dish tastes incredibly rich and decadent – i think it’s the combination of butter and brandy that does it. you can accentuate this by adding cream or crème fraiche as well but i really don’t think it needs it.

tagliatelle with prawns, fennel & brandy* (serves 2)

tagliatelle for two

15g butter

1 bulb of fennel, finely sliced

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

50ml white wine

1 tablespoon of brandy

200g passata (or chopped tinned tomatoes)

200g uncooked, prawns (remove the shell if you prefer)

zest of lemon

a handful of chopped parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper

cook the pasta.

meanwhile, melt the butter, add the fennel, fennel seeds and garlic and cook until the fennel and garlic soften. add the wine and  brandy and let it simmer for a minute or so. add the passata and a splash of water then simmer until the mixture has thickened and looks almost ready. add the prawns and cover them with the sauce so they cook through – this will only take a couple of minutes. add the lemon zest and season to taste. serve with the pasta.

* based on a recipe from the spice routes. in their recipe it is served without pasta, as a tapas or starter.