Crustacean sauce

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 10 prawns, raw, with shell and head
• 1 small onion(s)
• 1 stalk(s) Celery
• 1 small carrot(s)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tomato(s), ripe
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp tomato ketchup
• 2 cl cognac
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 300 ml water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bay leaf, fresh, torn
• 100 ml cream
• salt and pepper
• Allspice d’Espelette
• 1 tsp butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

Peel the prawns, remove the heads, and remove the intestines. Rinse the meat, pat dry, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. Rinse the skins and heads thoroughly in a sieve and allow to drain. Shake the sieve occasionally. Meanwhile, peel the onion, garlic, and carrot and dice them not too finely. Wash the celery and tomato. Remove the strings from the celery stalk and also dice them not too finely. Quarter the tomato. Heat the olive oil in a deep pan. Do not overheat. Sauté the prawn carcasses until they turn reddish. Stir frequently and make sure nothing burns. Then pour in the cognac and stir vigorously on the bottom of the pan to loosen the sediment. Then add the vegetables. Sauté briefly until slightly translucent. Sprinkle with two pinches of salt. Add the tomato paste and ketchup and fry briefly. Deglaze with the white wine, and as soon as the alcohol has evaporated, add the water. Add the bay leaf. Let it simmer for 20 minutes longer than it boils. Do not cover. Then pour in the cream and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a saucepan and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes until the sauce reaches the desired creamy consistency. Add 1 teaspoon of butter and whizz until foamy with a hand blender. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and piment d’espelette. This makes about 200 ml of sauce, which goes perfectly with seared prawns. I really like it with tagliatelle tossed in olive oil with tomatoes and garlic.