SQUID INK TORTELLINI WITH PRAWN MOUSSE

“This is not as much work as it seems and will really impress your dinner guests,” says Capsicum Culinary Studio’s Pretoria campus chef lecturer Charne Wylie.

Ingredients Pasta

250g flour 2 eggs

3 egg yolks 2 tsp squid ink 1 pinch of salt

Prawn Mousse

20ml gelatine 125ml cold water 125ml boiling water 450g cooked prawn tails 30ml lemon juice 30ml chopped onion 60ml chopped celery 10ml chopped dill 180ml mayonnaise 125ml cream, whipped

To Garnish

100g green peas

20g micro herbs

100g clams Additional cooked prawn tails

Method Pasta

Pile the flour and salt onto a large, clean work surface. Mix the eggs, egg yolks and squid ink. Gradually incorporate the egg mixture into the flour to create a dough, using your hands to bring it together. Knead for 5–10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic then form into a ball. Wrap tightly in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Once the dough has rested, remove from the fridge, and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes.

Unwrap the dough and use a rolling pin to flatten it to the same thickness of the widest setting on your pasta machine, then feed into the slot. Fold the dough in half and pass it through the machine a few more times until it becomes smooth.

Once you have a smooth dough, gradually decrease the setting on the pasta machine, passing the dough through twice on each setting (without folding) until you achieve the desired thickness. Cut the dough into your preferred shape.

Mousse

Sprinkle gelatine over the cold water and set aside for 5 minutes. Pour over the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Put the prawns in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the lemon juice, onion, celery, dill and mayonnaise and process until smooth. With the machine running, pour in the dissolved gelatine then add in the cream and pulse to combine.

Spoon the mixture into 3 small or 1 large loaf pan that has been oiled and lined with cling wrap and place in the fridge to set.

Once firm, unmould and serve garnished with prawns.

Filling pasta

Set the rolled-out pasta on a flat surface and use a pizza cutter to cut 2x2 inch squares. Once the pasta squares are cut, begin dabbing a teaspoon-sized amount of the mousse into the middle of the square. Brush a small amount of water along the outside of the square and fold over across the diagonal to form a triangle. Next pick up the triangle and form it around your pinkie, then press the two edges together tightly. Grab the triangular tip and fold it over the dough to form the final shape.

Set all the formed tortellini into a pile and dust them with flour to prevent them from sticking together. Cook the tortellini.

Bring a large amount of water to a rolling boil and add one tablespoon of salt per quart of water, the water should be as salty as the sea. Add the tortellini to the boiling water and cook for two to three minutes until the tortellini begins to float.

Remove the pot from the heat and strain the pasta.