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Trikeri in color

A song about my favorite things

I know I may sound like Maria from the Sound of Music, but this is the song that came into my mind after a short excursion to Trikeri.

So, what this song would be about? It would be about the hundreds of colors reflecting on the water surface; about the sound of the masts and the smell of fresh paint around the shipyard; about the heartbeat before a big splash; about playing on the beach; about eating with friends by the sea.

At Trikeri I felt carefree, as if someone had scratched off layers of time from my life, the same way fishermen scratch off layers of paint of their wooden boats. Nothing unnecessary existed on that fine day, just as nothing unnecessary has a place in Trikery’s most famous plate: spaghetti with langoustines… a recipe to enjoy with the company of friends. Try this delicious version of the plate and don’t be afraid to get messy with it!

Spaghetti with langoustines

Ingredients for 4 servings:

  • – 500 grams of spaghetti
  • – 12 fresh langoustines
  • – 500 grams of ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • – 1 onion finely chopped
  • – 1 clove of garlic
  • – 1 small red hot pepper
  • – A small glass of white dry wine
  • – A teaspoon of sugar
  • – A pinch of thyme
  • – Some parsley finely chopped (to sprinkle)
  • – Olive oil
  • – Salt and fresh ground pepper

• Peel the langoustines, leaving the tails, claws and heads intact, and clean them.

• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté the garlic and onion, stirring for a couple of minutes. Add the langoustines; sauté for a minutes from each side, then add the red hot pepper and season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and wait until it starts to evaporate.

• Remove the langoustines from the saucepan and add the tomatoes, sugar and thyme. Boil the sauce for 10 minutes.

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add spaghetti, cook until al dente and drain, reserving 5 tablespoons of the cooking water.

• Add the spaghetti, the reserved water and langoustines into the saucepan and stir for a minute.

• Sprinkle with parsley and serve right away.

Tip: You can boil the spaghetti in langoustine broth: heat some olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the langoustine shells and some of their heads. Add an organic orange peel, 2 chopped onions, a clove of garlic, a bay leaf, some peppercorns and stir for 4 minutes; Add 3 litters of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and shimmer for 50 minutes. Strain and use this broth to cook the spaghetti (adding water if necessary).

words by maria alipranti

photography by christos drazos