Rocky Mountain Cooking – Seafood Pasta with Coconut Milk and Green Curry

Taken directly from the pages of Katie Mitzel’s “Rocky Mountain Cooking”, this savoury Seafood Pasta dish is simply irresistible.

The Skoki Cookbook author and chef Katie Mitzel’s latest bestseller Rocky Mountain Cooking is on the shelves right now. Through a serendipitous series of events Katie Mitzel has managed to combine her love for her family, her craving for adventure, and her culinary creativity in the kitchens of iconic adventure-locations across Canada.

Decades ago Mitzel, an adventurous young cook, eagerly took on the challenges of cooking without electricity or running water in remote backcountry lodges. Today, Mitzel is known as a pioneering chef who has gone to the most inaccessible locations to create meals that warms the mind, body and soul.

This Seafood Pasta with Coconut Milk and Green Curry celebrates the bounty of Vancouver Island’s thriving shellfish industry, and British Columbia’s delectable produce and dairy products, all tossed and simmered in a little bit of exotic ingredients from afar.

“The creaminess of the sauce coupled with the luxury of gorgeous seafood is too much to resist. I am sure your friends and family will be requesting this dish, time, and time again.” – Chef and Adventurer Katie Mitzel.

SEAFOOD PASTA WITH COCONUT MILK AND GREEN CURRY

SERVES 4-6

Here’s what you will need:

I cup salted butter

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

3 cups whole (3.25%) milk, divided

2 (each 8 oz) packages brick-style cream cheese, cubed

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons green curry paste

2 tablespoons curry powder (strength according to taste)

2 (each 13.5 oz.) cans full-fat coconut milk

1 lime zested and juiced

½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped, plus extra for garnish

Kosher salt

½ (10-oz) can whole baby clams

½ (28-oz) sweety drop peppers (see note)

12-14 oz. dried penne

1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

½ lb. scallops

½ lb. prawns, peeled and deveined

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

3-4 green onions, thinly sliced

Here’s how it is done:

• To make the sauce, in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
  Gradually whisk in the flour. There is no need to whisk vigorously – you just want the ingredients to combine. This sauce uses a slightly blonde roux, it takes about 2 minutes for the flour to lose its raw smell and instead emit a slightly nutty smell.
• Gradually whisk in 2 cups of the milk until the sauce is nice and smooth. Add the cream cheese and pour the remaining 1 cup of milk overtop. Stirring constantly let the cream cheese melt into the milk. Once all the cream cheese has melted, whisk in the garlic, curry paste, and curry powder, followed by the coconut milk. Add the lime zest and juice, cilantro, and a pinch of salt, and whisk gently to combine. Finally, add the baby clams, discarding about half of the juice. Add the sweety drop peppers, along with 2 tablespoons of the packed juice.
• Keep the sauce simmering on low, while you prepare the pasta and seafood, whisking occasionally.
• Bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the penne and cook until al dente, 12-14 minutes. Drain and set aside for a few minutes. I often reserve some of the pasta water and pour it overtop to keep the pasta from drying out.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil and fry the scallops for about 2 minutes per side. The scallops will have about a ¼-inch golden-brown crust on each side and an opaque center. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Place the prawns and bell peppers in the same skillet, drizzle with the remaining ¼ tablespoon of oil, and cook on medium-high heat until the prawns are pink on the outside and slightly opaque, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
• I often serve this dish directly from the saucepan I cooked the pasta in, but if you have a nice large serving bowl, pour in enough sauce to cover the bottom. Add the pasta and pour the remaining sauce overtop. Add the scallops and prawns and toss a couple of times to evenly distribute throughout the pasta. Serve with a sprinkle of cilantro and the green onions.

NOTE: Sweety drop peppers are red Peruvian min-peppers. These versatile little veggies are just bigger than a pomegranate aril and are packed in a sweetened vinegar liquid. They are fabulous in this seafood pasta, of course, as well as in salads or various vegetable dishes. You can find them easily in many grocery stores.

Recipe belongs solely to Chef Katie Mitzel’s, and was taken from her latest publication –  Rocky Mountain Cooking

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