GARLIC SEAFOOD ON PASTA 2 quarts hot water
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound fresh spaghetti, or 1/3 pound dry
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (3/8 pound)
1/2 pound shellfish (crabmeat, shrimp, crawfish or oysters) or
1/2 pound firm fleshed fish filets, cut up, or a combination of these
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon
Chef Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 cup warm seafood stock or water
Combine the hot water, salt and oil in a large pot over high heat; cover and bring to a boil. When water reaches a rolling boil, add small amounts of spaghetti at a time to the pot, breaking up oil patches as you drop spaghetti in.
Return to a boil and cook uncovered to al dente stage (about 4 minutes if fresh, 7 minutes if dry); do not overcook. During this cooking time, use a wooden or spaghetti spoon to lift spaghetti out of the water by spoonfuls and shake strands back into the boiling water. It may be an old wives tale, but this procedure seems to enhance the spaghetti's texture. Then immediately drain spaghetti off into a colander; stop its cooking by running cold water over strands. (If you used dry spaghetti, first rinse with hot water to wash off starch.) After the spaghetti has cooled thoroughly, about 2 to 3 minutes, pour a liberal amount of vegetable oil in your hands and toss spaghetti. Set aside in a colander.
Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the seafood, green onions, Seafood Magic and garlic; cook just until seafood is cooked while vigorously shaking the pan in a back-and-forth motion (versus stirring*), about 1 minute.
Add the stock and the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter. Cook until butter melds, about 1 minute, continuing to shake pan.
Add the spaghetti; toss and cook just until spaghetti is heated through, about 1 minute more. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
For each serving, roll spaghetti on a long fork and place on a heated serving plate. Top with remaining sauce.
LAGNIAPPE:
To test doneness of spaghetti, cut a strand in half near the end of cooking time. When done, there should be only a speck of white in the center, less than one-fourth the diameter of the strand. *Shaking the pan in a back-and-forth motion and the addition of stock to the melting butter keep the sauce from separating and having an oily texture - - stirring doesn't produce the same effect.
Makes 2 servings
Source: Chef Paul Prudhomme
