Louie Seafood Pasta Recipe

Clean and portion seafood

Scrub clams and mussels under cold water; discard any with broken shells or that do not close when tapped. Pat prawns, shrimp, scallops, and salmon cubes dry with paper towels. If crab not pre-picked, pick meat from shells and reserve lumps intact where possible.

Make sea-saline

Stir the fine sea salt into 120 ml cold water until fully dissolved to create a saline 'sea water' base to enhance briny flavor. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil for the linguine; keep ready. Prepare two small bowls: one with lemon wedges, one with sliced avocado (toss avocado in a teaspoon of lemon juice to prevent browning).

Peel and halve the hard-boiled eggs; dice tomato and slice cucumber into half-moons. Chop herbs and mince garlic and shallot.

Cook 12 oz linguine in the large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions until al dente (typically 8–10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside, tossing with a teaspoon of olive oil to prevent sticking.

In a large, deep sauté pan or wide saucepan, heat 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot and sauté 2–3 minutes until translucent, then add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Add 120 ml dry white wine and bring to a simmer, scraping any browned bits. Stir in 1 tbs tomato paste, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; simmer 2 minutes to meld flavors.

Pour in 800 ml fish or seafood stock and the prepared 120 ml sea-saline. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce by about 10–15% (3–5 minutes) to concentrate flavor.

Lower the heat and stir in 180 ml heavy cream and 1 tbs unsalted butter. Warm gently — do not boil vigorously — until the broth is silky. Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (start with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper), and a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat. Add lemon zest and 1 tbs fresh dill.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add clams and mussels to the simmering broth, cover pan, and steam 4–6 minutes until shells open. Remove any that remain closed. Using a slotted spoon, transfer opened clams and mussels to a bowl; leave broth in pan (they will finish cooking later).

Add prawns, shrimp, scallops, and salmon cubes to the broth. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 2–3 minutes until prawns and shrimp turn pink and scallops and salmon are just cooked through (do not overcook). Remove these items with a slotted spoon to the bowl with clams and mussels. Keep warm.

If you like, stir in the picked Dungeness crab meat into the hot broth for 1 minute just to warm through; remove and put with the other seafood (or reserve some crab to garnish cold).

Return the pan with the broth to medium heat. Add the cooked linguine to the broth, along with 1/2 cup (120 ml) reserved pasta cooking water. Toss gently to coat the pasta evenly; if the sauce seems thin, simmer a minute to reduce; if too thick, add more pasta water 1–2 tbs at a time. Stir in remaining 2 tbs butter, 1 tbs chopped chives, and 1 tbs chopped parsley to enrich the sauce.

Fold the warmed seafood (clams, mussels, prawns, shrimp, scallops, salmon, crab) into the linguine and broth gently to combine. Heat through for 30–60 seconds; taste and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed.

Plate the linguine and seafood into shallow bowls. Arrange sliced avocado, cucumber slices, diced tomato, and halved egg around or atop the pasta to evoke a classic Louie presentation. Sprinkle capers, additional parsley and dill, and a pinch of smoked paprika over each serving. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Serve immediately while hot. Provide extra cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes, and lemon wedges at the table. Leftover broth and seafood can be refrigerated up to 24 hours and gently reheated; avoid overcooking seafood when reheating.