Béchamel aux fruits de mer with conchiglie pentacolore is a happy Franco-Italian marriage. I fix this whenever I don't have much time to cook as the recipe is easy and delicious.
Conchiglie pentacolore is seashell-shaped pasta. It is coloured green (spinach), red (tomatoes), white (natural), yellow (curry) and black (squid ink). It goes without saying, it should be done al dente.
For the souped-up version of traditional béchamel I melt a nice knob of butter in a thick-bottomed pan. Then there go a dash of whole allspice berries, cloves and peppercorns, a bay leaf and a wee pinch of ground nutmeg to infuse the butter with their flavours. To make the roux I use equal parts of wheat flour and corn starch. The latter is an Asian influence, it makes the sauce light and translucent. I mix the flour mix and the butter with a whisk on low fire until it becomes golden blonde, you don't want to go any darker with béchamel.
When the roux has cooled down (very important!), it is time to whisk in equal parts of scalded double cream, white wine and home-made shrimp stock. I let it all simmer on small fire stirring periodically with a whisk. The result is a symphony of savoury flavours, laden with natural glutamates that give it that very taste that the Japanese call "koku" (full-bodied).
At the very last stage I add a handful of seafood into the still simmering sauce and turn the heat off.
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