PRAWN & PESTO

Pesto

½ clove garlic
1 big bunch of fresh basil and coriander
1 handful of pine nuts
1 good handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, optional

1. Peel the garlic, then pound in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sea salt.
2. Pick, roughly chop and add the basil and coriander leaves, then bash to a paste (or pulse in a food processor).
3. Add the pine nuts (very lightly toast first, if you like) to the mixture and pound again, then stir in half the Parmesan.
4. Drizzle in some oil – you need just enough to bind the sauce and get it to an oozy consistency.
5. Add most of the remaining cheese, then season to perfection with salt and black pepper. Have a taste, and keep adding a bit more cheese or oil until you are happy with the taste and consistency.
6. Add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to give it a little twang, if you like, but it’s not essential.

Pasta

Four large free-range eggs
400 g Tipo '00' flour
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix eggs, flour, oil, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with dough hook until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest at least 30 minutes.

Cut and roll as desired.

Do Ahead: Dough can be made 1 day ahead; tightly wrap and chill.

Noilly Prat sauce + Prawns

500g prawn shells and heads
2 bay leaves
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
2 pieces of lemon peel (yellow part only)
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic cloves, crushed
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
salt & pepper to taste
juice of ½ lemon
Noilly Prat
4 green capsicum

1. Place the prawn shells and heads in a pot and add the stock, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, lemon peel and garlic. Bring up to a boil and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, covered until the stock is well infused by the shells.
2. In a separate pot, melt a little butter and fry the onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds before adding the tomato paste and sugar splash with Noilly Prat and lieght it on fire (with lighter).
3. Allow to fry for 30 seconds then pour in the prawn stock with the shells and heads.
4. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes then remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
5. When the stock has cooled down, blend, shells and all until the shells are broken up completely. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and then through a sieve lined with muslin once more into a clean pot. This is to make sure there is no grit or sediment in the bisque
6. Place the pot over a low heat and allow to come back up to heat. Pour in the cream. If the soup seems too thin at this stage (which it probably will be), whisk in the flour paste and allow to simmer gently for 10 minutes until the soup has thickened slightly. You don't want it to be too thick, it needs to be very 'soupy' still but also not watery.
7. Season to taste and serve with pan fried prawns.

-- BY THE CHEFS AT HANS HERZOG