Crab and shrimp stuffed shells with saffron & cream cheese

Recipe : Crab and shrimp stuffed shells

2 cups of large pasta shells

1 cup of crab meat

8 large, raw prawns, shelled

1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp butter

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

1/4 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

4 tbsp cream cheese

a few saffron strands

1 tsp butter

1/4 cup of chicken or fish stock

salt and pepper

paprika

2 tbsp panko or breadcrumbs

3/4 cup grated mixed cheese (I used 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup of Cheddar)

Preheat the oven to 400oF.

Cook the pasta in a pan of salted, boiling water until just done, (al dente - a little bite still). Drain and leave to dry thoroughly. You may find you have to turn the shells upside down to empty all the water out or poke inside with a paper towel. Place into a baking dish, trying to stand the shells upright with the opening at the top.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add the shallot, garlic and carrot. Saute, stirring continuously, until the vegetables are softened. 

Add the stock, cream cheese, saffron, butter, prawns and crab and stir well. Keeping the heat at medium, allow everything to simmer together until the prawns and crab are cooked and the liquid has evaporated and thickened slightly to create a sauce like consistency. Remove from the heat. 

Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste and then spoon a little into each pasta shell, adding more to each until all the mixture has been used. Sprinkle the panko or breadcrumbs on top, followed by the cheese, ensuring it is evenly distributed over all the shells and then sprinkle a little paprika over the top.

Bake in a preheated 400oF oven for about 15 minutes, browning and crisping under a grill (broiler) for the final 5 minutes if you like.