It has often been remarked upon that the way to a man's heart is through his ribcage with a sharp knife and who am I to disagree?
That said, however, I am one of those fortunates who are madly in love with their own husband, which is not only nice but extremely convenient and therefore I plan to make him something delicious for dinner that is quick, delicious and partially pink, thereafter dragging him upstairs to indulge in something that will leave us both short of breath, puce-faced and exhausted. Duvet cover changing, since you ask.
Your bedlinen is entirely your own affair but should you want to emulate our red-hot dinner action I can thoroughly recommend
Scallops and Tiger Prawns on Squid Ink Linguine
- 8 scallops, with corals, for preference (drain the scallops and save whatever juice you get)
- 16 shelled, raw tiger prawns
- 4 shallots or a small onion
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- Small amount of chopped and de-seeded red chilli to taste
- 2 fl oz Marsala
- 10 fl oz double cream
- Squirt of vegetable puree
- Seasoning
- Olive oil for frying
- Squid ink linguine or spaghetti – as much pasta as you would normally make for two, everybody's idea of 'enough pasta' being entirely different.
In a large pan bring plenty of well-salted water to the boil and then add the pasta. While it's cooking, in a large frying-pan gently fry the finely-chopped shallot or onion, the garlic and the chilli until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the Marsala and bring to the boil, reducing the liquid by about half. Add any juice that has come from the scallops and then the cream. Bring back to the boil and reduce until the liquid has thickened. Add a small squirt of vegetable puree and whisk it in to make the sauce a delicate pink colour. (If you can't get vegetable puree I recommend you don't substitute tomato puree, as the flavour is more intrusive – just leave it out.) Add the tiger prawns and cook until they turn pink. Then add the scallops, which you have sliced in half – they barely need to cook. Taste and season and serve alongside the al dente squid ink linguine. The combination of texture, flavour and colour is unbeatable.
