Fettuccine with Prawns and Baby Fennel in Pernod Cream Sauce Recipe

How to make it

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• What to do
• For the Stock
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• Peel & clean the prawns, keep the heads & shells (leave the tails on if you like).
• In a large pot sauté the chopped onion, carrot and celery in a little olive oil for 1 minute.
• Add the prawn shells and heads and sauté for a further 2-3 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and (14 fl oz) of water.
• Add 3-4 bay leaves and 6-8 peppercorns and bring to the boil.
• Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and continue to simmer until reduced by just over half.
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• For the Pasta
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• In another pot boil enough salted water to cook the pasta in.
• Cook the pasta until al dente (check the package).
• Strain the pasta and cool with running water.
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• For the Sauce
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• In a large fry pan, melt 2 tbsps butter with 2 tbsps olive oil over medium heat.
• Sauté the diced onion, fennel and garlic until starting to turn translucent.
• Turn the heat to high and add 1/4 cup of Pernod.
• Burn the alcohol off the Pernod and reduce until the pan is only slightly wet.
• Remove from the heat.
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• Place the contents of the pan along with the cream into a large pot and return to medium heat.
• Allow to simmer and thicken, approx 10 minutes
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• Meanwhile once the prawn stock has reduced by half, strain it and discard the solids.
• Add no more than 7 fl oz)of the stock to the sauce and continue to reduce until thick (do not boil).
• Once sauce is thick enough to coat the pasta, reduce to low heat.
• Wipe the fry pan clean and melt 1 tbsp of butter with 1 tbsp of olive oil over high heat.
• Add the prawns and cook for approx 2 minutes or until pink.
• Splash with a few tbsps of Pernod, burn off the alcohol and add the contents to the sauce.
• Add parmesan cheese to sauce, stir and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
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• Assembly
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• Rinse pasta under hot water to warm up, shake off excess water and plunge pasta into sauce.
• Stir gently and serve.
• Garnish with excess fennel fronds if desired.