Spaghettini Molly Malone

The following unedited recipe was featured in a cookbook of Irish restaurants called Zest! (published in 2009) and was served at Cayenne a restaurant operated by Paul Rankin, previously based in Shaftesbury Square, Belfast. Molly Malone is in reference to an Irish song referencing a fishwife who, of course, sold cockles and mussels. The simplicity of ingredients involved complement the seafood element, making this a light and almost refreshing, summery pasta.

ingredients | serves 4

-        1 large red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

-        4 garlic cloves, chopped

-        8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

-        900g/2lb cockles

-        900g/2lb mussels

-        250ml/9fl oz dry white wine

-        3 tablespoons finely chopped onion

-        2 fresh parsley stalks

-        450g/1lb spaghettini (thinner version of spaghetti)

-        2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley

-        Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

method

Place the chilli (reserving a little to garnish), garlic and oil in a small bowl, and cook in the microwave on full power for 1 minute. Alternatively, warm over a gentle heat in a small pan for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Wash and scrub the cockles and mussels, carefully scraping off the beards from the mussels. Rinse in plenty of clean water, and discard any mussels that are open and do not close when tapped with a knife.

Bring the wine, onion and parsley stalks to the boil in a large pan over a high heat. Add the cockles and mussels, then cover and boil vigorously for 3-4 minutes, or until all of the
cockles and mussels have opened. Discard any that remain closed.

Drain into a colander with a bowl underneath to catch all that precious cooking liquid.

Reserve the cooking liquid and as soon as the shellfish are cool enough, remove about two-thirds of the cockles and mussels from their shells.

Place both the shelled cockles and mussels and the ones in their shells in a pan and pour over the reserved cooking liquid, leaving behind the last few spoonfuls of liquid as it will be full of grit.

Cook the spaghettini in a large pan of boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes or according to the packet instructions until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the cockles and mussels in the cooking liquid, adding the chilli and garlic oil to the pan. Add the parsley, reserving some to garnish. Do not allow to boil or continue to cook, otherwise the cockles and mussels will toughen.

Drain the spaghettini and then toss with the cockles and mussels mixture.

to serve

Arrange in warmed wide-rimmed bowls and sprinkle over the reserved chilli and parsley.

Spaghettini Molly Malone as shown in the Zest! Irish restaurant cookbook (2009)