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Seafood Pasta
Blue Heron Catering

Serves 4 as a main course, 8 as a side dish.
The following recipe was contributed by Lisa Wilson, Blue Heron Catering.
Lynna Tsou and David Tjen are passionate about food and cooking - they wanted their wedding favor to reflect this love. Each guest was given an 80 page cookbook filled with their favorite family recipes as a wedding favor. We were pleased that they included this dish which Blue Heron served during their reception at the Kohl Mansion last year.
This is a wonderful hearty seafood pasta - not difficult to make, but there is a fair amount of prep work. It’s a perfect dish for a newly wed couple – or an old married pair - to create together.

Ingredients:
½ pound fresh Manila clams
½ pound fresh black mussels
2 cups dry white wine
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped roughly
1 tsp. chili flakes
½ pound each salmon, sea bass, mahi mahi, shelled prawns
2 fresh lemons, juiced
½ cup plus 2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, peeled, sliced in thin half moons
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tbl. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
8 ounces artichoke hearts
2 Tbl. capers
2 Tbl. sweet butter
1 pound imported dried shell shaped pasta

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Chef One:
Soak the clams and mussels in water for 10 minutes.
While they are soaking chop the garlic and parsley, slice the onions, juice the lemons.
Drain the shellfish and rub clean.
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a slow boil.
Steam just until the shells open, about 2 minutes.
Discard any shells that do not open.
Remove the clams and mussels to a holding plate and strain the liquid.
Reserve the liquid.

Chef Two:
Shell the prawns, {you may want to save the shells in your freezer for a future prawn stock}.
Cut the fish in one inch cubes.
Toss the seafood with salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice and set on a baking pan.

Chef One:
Make the sauce. In a large pot heat ½ cup oil and sauté the red onion until soft.
Add the reserved shellfish liquid, herbs, artichokes, capers and reduce the heat to a low simmer.
Whisk in the butter.
Keep gently warm.

Chef Two:
Start salted water boiling for the pasta.
Cook the pasta in the vigorously boiling water until al dente, typically 8 to 12 minutes.
Drain.
While the pasta is cooking bake the fish in the center of the oven until just barely firm, approximately 5 - 7 minutes.

Chef One:
Gently toss together the shellfish, fish and sauce with the pasta.
Taste for salt and pepper.
Serve at once with fresh lemon wedges on the side and topped with chopped parsley.