Hallowe'en Dinner Spook-tacular!

"I charge a lot for anything black. Grapes, olives, blackcurrants. People like to remind themselves of death. Eating black food is like consuming death,like saying, "Death, I'm eating you." Black truffles are the most expensive. And caviar. Death and birth.The end and the beginning. Don't you think it's appropriate that the most expensive items are black? We also charge for vanity. Diet foods have an additional surcharge…."

The Cook at Le Hollandais
The Cook The Thief His Wife & Her Lover (1989)

That is one of my favourite movie quotes and from a film that is kind of about food. What other film can you think of that combines food, sex, colour, torture and cannibalism all in the context of Thatcher`s England!

Le Hollandais is definitely central to the plot of the film and is the scene of the film's penultimate act of love by Georgie for her murdered Lover. When trying to decide what to make for Hallowe'en dinner I decided to take inspiration from the above quote from The Cook and make something black.

I really wanted to make Risotto Nero, but I couldn`t find squid ink, which is essential to the dish`s colour and flavour, so I went for the next best thing which is squid ink pasta - in this case fettucine. I am not really in the mood for tomato sauce (even with its blood-like cololuring) so I am going to make a Salsa Verde and use it like a pesto on the pasta. Also I purchased some mussels (black), baby squids (lots of tentacles for effect) and some purple asparagus. I also tried an interesting idea for presentation which you will see below...Muuuuaaahahahahaha..... I am trying to work on my food styling as I move along with this blog...

This recipe is based on one I have used for years from the River Cafe in London with a few modifications to increase the yield. It is great tossed with pasta or used as a sauce on fish. Extremely versatile and can be made a day ahead.

Salsa Verde

2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tsp. capers
1 tsp. anchovy paste (yes this is essential)
2 bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley (no stems)
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons good quality olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste (I do not find that much is needed)

Put all ingredients in a food processor and whir until it reaches desired consistency. Yes, it is that simple. And delicious.

Seafood and Pasta

1 pound squid ink fettucine

• 2 cloves garlic purée 
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound mussels, rinsed and debearded
• 3/4 pound baby squid, cleaned, bodies cut into 1/4-inch rounds, and tentacles left whole
• 
  
• Cook pasta and seafood:

If using asparagus, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break off the ends of the asparagus and lie in a single layer in an oven safe pan.  Toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil and cook in oven until tender, approximately, 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook fettucine in a large pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente.

While pasta is cooking, heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet with a lid (nonstick is fine regardless what others say) over med-high heat until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add oil and garlic, then immediately add mussels and sauté, stirring occasionally, until mussels begin to open, 2 to 3 minutes. Add about quarter to half a cup of pasta cooking water to pan and cover to until mussels open wide, about 2 minutes more (discard any unopened mussels).  Set aside and hold until pasta is ready.

Once pasta is cooked, approximately 7-10 minutes, drain pasta for the moment. Add 1 tbsp oil to the hot pot and bring to temperature quickly over med to high heat.  Once heated, add squid to the hot pot, and cook quickly, approximately 2 minutes.  

Once squid is ready add hot pasta back into pot and toss to combine (squid will continue to cook as it is being tossed).   Add salsa verde by the spoonful until you are happy with the amount coating the pasta (I used the entire recipe).  Serve immediately with parmesan cheese, though I am told traditionally in Italy seafood pasta dishes are served sans parmesan.

Wow.....I suddenly just realized that Michael Gambon played the boorish oaf Albert (The Thief) in the film. I still remember him referring to pate as looking like cat food for constipated rabbits! Ha! I had completely forgotten about him being in it. God...now he is Dumbledore! Quite a range he has. And the glorious Helen Mirren...man she was stunning in that film with the Jean Paul Gautier clothes. I think she still is stunning. Now THAT is a real woman in my opinion. I want to age like her. And I think it was probably the second thing I saw Tim Roth in, after Reservoir Dogs of course. He is another of my favourites. Even watched the Incredible Hulk because of him. And Ed Norton of course.

Happy Halloweeeeeeeen everyone!!