Cannelloni ai Frutti di Mare

Seafood Cannelloni

You can vary the seafood used in this recipe according to your preference or what is in season. Use a teaspoon to stuff the mixture into the tubes.

serves 6

FILLING

1 onion, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

1 celery stalk, cut in half

1 bouquet garni

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) dry white wine

4 whole black peppercorns

300 g (10½ oz) scallops

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) raw prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined

300 g (10½ oz) skinless fish fillets (such as flathead, flake, hake, ling, cod), boned and chopped

60 g (2¼ oz) salted butter

1 onion, finely chopped

200 g (7 oz) button mushrooms, finely chopped

800 g (1 lb 12 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped basil

2 tablespoons pouring (whipping) cream

15 cannelloni tubes

125 g (4½ oz) grated cheddar cheese

BECHAMEL SAUCE

60 g (2¼ oz) salted butter

2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour

750 ml (26 fl oz/3 cups) milk

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Combine the onion, carrot, celery, bouquet garni and 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the wine and peppercorns and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain, discard the vegetables and reserve the liquid.

Cut the seafood small enough to enable it to fit in the cannelloni tubes.

Put the reserved liquid in a clean saucepan. Bring to the boil. Add the seafood. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender. Strain and reserve the liquid.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the onion and cook until golden brown. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender. Add 3 tablespoons of the reserved liquid, tomato and herbs; bring to the boil. Reduce the heat; simmer for 30 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Stir in the seafood and cream. Season.

To make the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan, add flour; stir for 1 minute, or until pale and foaming. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in milk. Return to heat and stir until the sauce comes to the boil and thickens.

Spoon the mixture into the cannelloni tubes. Place in a greased 3 litre (105 fl oz/12 cup) ovenproof dish. Pour the sauce over and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for 40 minutes, or until cannelloni tubes are tender.