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Roast shellfish with tarragon butter sauce

Roast shellfish with tarragon butter sauce

A dramatic platter of clams, scallops, prawns and langoustines roasts over seaweed and wine, while tender squid sears in a hot pan. The crowning glory is a rich, velvety Sauternes and tarragon butter sauce, poured generously over everything. It’s an impressive, restaurant-quality feast.

Prep: less than 30 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Serves: Serves 4
Dietary: Egg-free, Nut-free
Saturday Kitchen Chef photoBy Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes
Original recipe from BBC Saturday Kitchen Live.

Nutri-Score D This is a luxurious, special-occasion dish.  The score reflects the high saturated fat content from the generous amount of butter, balanced by the high-quality lean protein from the shellfish.
Per serving: approximately 580 kcal, 48g fat, 26g saturated fat, 8g carbohydrates, 4g sugars, 1g fibre, 25g protein.

Equipment

Ingredients

For the roast shellfish platter

  • 400g fresh or rehydrated seaweed (dulse or samphire work well)
  • 150ml dry white wine
  • 10 clams (e.g., palourde or vongole), scrubbed
  • 2 king scallops in shell, cleaned
  • 3 oysters in shell, top shell removed
  • 2 langoustines or large prawns, blanched and split
  • 4 raw prawns, shell-on, split down the back
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium squid, cleaned, scored and sliced into rings
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tarragon butter sauce

  • 375ml Sauternes or other sweet dessert wine
  • 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon stalks
  • 250g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus extra whole leaves to garnish
  • 1 lemon, juice only
  • pinch white pepper

Customise

  • No seaweed? Use a bed of coarse sea salt or samphire.
  • Swap Sauternes for dry white wine with 1 tsp honey.
  • Use mussels instead of or alongside the clams.
  • Replace langoustines with extra large raw prawns or crayfish.
  • Add cherry tomatoes or sliced fennel to the roasting tin for extra flavour.
  • For a richer sauce, stir in 1 tbsp double cream after the butter.

Method

Prepare the Shellfish & Sauce Base (15 minutes ahead)

  1. Prep the shellfish. Preheat your oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9, as high as it will go. Check the clams: discard any with broken shells. Tap any open ones – if they don’t close, discard them too. Prepare the other shellfish as described: split the langoustines and prawns, ensure scallops and oysters are cleaned. Pat the squid dry and score it lightly if not already done.
  2. Start the tarragon sauce. For the sauce, place the Sauternes, finely chopped shallots, bay leaf and chopped tarragon stalks in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces down to just about one tablespoon of syrupy liquid. This concentrates the flavour. Take it off the heat and set aside.

Cook & Assemble (10 minutes active time)

  1. Roast the shellfish. Scatter the seaweed across the base of a large roasting tin or cast iron dish. Pour over the dry white wine. Arrange the clams, scallops in their shells, oysters, langoustines and prawns over the seaweed. Drizzle everything with the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the tin in the very hot oven and roast for 10 minutes, or until the clams have opened and the prawns are pink and opaque. Discard any clams that remain closed.
  2. Pan-fry the squid. While the shellfish roasts, heat a medium frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add the prepared squid and cook for 2-4 minutes, turning once, until just cooked through and lightly charred. It should be tender, not rubbery. Set aside.
  3. Finish the butter sauce. Return the reduced wine mixture to a very low heat. Whisk in the cubes of cold butter, one or two at a time, allowing each to melt and emulsify into the sauce before adding the next. Keep the heat low to avoid splitting the sauce. Once all the butter is incorporated and the sauce is glossy, remove from the heat. Stir in the chopped tarragon leaves, a good squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  4. Plate and serve. Take the roasting tin from the oven. Nestle the pan-fried squid amongst the other shellfish. Pour the warm tarragon butter sauce generously over the entire platter. Scatter with a few whole tarragon leaves for garnish. Serve immediately at the table, with crusty bread to soak up the incredible sauce.

Suggested Wine Pairing

The rich, buttery sauce and delicate sweetness of the shellfish call for a wine with bright acidity to cut through the fat. A crisp, mineral white is the classic choice. Look for wines with citrus or green apple notes that will complement the tarragon and stand up to the variety of seafood on the platter.

  • M&S Classics Chablis (around £12). This steely, unoaked Chardonnay from France has a pure, crisp acidity and flinty minerality that is perfect with oysters, scallops and buttery sauces.
  • Tesco Finest Albariño (around £9). A zesty, peachy Spanish white with a saline edge that mirrors the taste of the sea and loves all types of shellfish.
  • Morrisons The Best Pouilly-Fumé (around £11). This Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire has vibrant citrus and gooseberry notes and a smoky, flinty quality that pairs beautifully with the charred squid and tarragon.

What can you serve with this

  1. Crusty sourdough or baguette. Essential for mopping up every last drop of the incredible tarragon butter sauce.
  2. Lemon and herb crushed new potatoes. Buttery, waxy potatoes provide a soft, comforting base for the luxurious seafood.
  3. Chilled dry fino sherry. Serve small glasses alongside as an authentic Spanish-inspired aperitif that matches the briny flavours.

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