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Frutti di Mare- Westerly High School Culinary Program

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Frutti di Mare

Westerly High School Culinary Program: Lucas Denslow, Nate Pachiga, Trista Thornton, Bella Weber, and Chloe Will, with Chef Instructor Jamie Finkelstein

This recipe was the winning dish in the 2026 RI Seafood Cookoff!

Garlic Leek butter

Recipe Yield: 1 lb

Ingredients

1 Leek, washed/sliced (white part only)

4 Garlic Cloves

2 oz. Blended Oil

1 Lb Tempered butter

Kosher Salt to taste

Preparation

  1. Add the garlic to a pot with the oil and cook on low till fragrant.

  2. Add the leeks and season with salt. Cooked covered for 15 minutes while stirring to sweat (not looking for color) until soft and translucent.

  3. Puree in a blender until completely smooth then place into ice as to retain the color and flavors.

  4. Add softened butter to a mixer with a whisk and mix on low speed to soften. Add in ½ at a time the puree to make sure it is combined completely and consistent. Place into a container and into the fridge.

Calamari

Ingredients

8 oz. Calamari, Cut

3 ea. Garlic cloves, sliced

1 oz. Olive Oil

3 oz. White Wine

5 oz. Tomato Puree

1 ea. Oregano sprig

Kosher salt to taste

Espelette Pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Sweat the garlic with the oil until soft and translucent. Add the calamari with the salt and continue cooking on low until the calamari begins to release moisture.

  2. Add the white wine and cook on medium heat till it has cooked off.

  3. Add the tomato puree and cook on low for 25-30 minutes till tender but slightly al dente. Finish by steeping in the oregano spring and remove before the oregano turns brown. Finish with Espelette.

  4. Ice down and transfer into container

Mussel Broth

Ingredients

20 ea. Mussels, washed/debearded

1 ea. Whole Garlic, halved

½ cup White Wine

Water to taste

1 ea. Oregano sprig

Espelette Pepper to taste

  1. Cook the halved heads of garlic face down in olive oil in a pot till fragrant. Add the oregano to lightly fry. Add the white wine and cook until the alcohol is cooked off. Add Espelette.

  2. Add a layer of mussels at a time so you can control the cook then cover and steam.

  3. Pull the mussels out one at a time as soon as they are cooked. Once pulled, remove the meat from the shells and make sure to leave the adductor attached to the shell (chewy and not the best texture). Store in a container. Strain and cool the broth. Add equal amounts of water.

Assembly:

  1. Begin cooking pasta of your choice

  2. Heat up red sauce of your choice and deglaze with the broth

  3. Toss in the pasta once cooked into the red sauce as to allow it to fortify the flavors

  4. Add mussels and slipper limpets (optional) as well as the stewed calamari and heat through.

  5. Add in 2 Tbsp of the leek butter and grate in some parmigiano.

  6. Plate up and top with chervil, fresh lemon zest, candied cured lemon, olive oil, espelette pepper, and more parmigiano

  7. Top with fried squid ink bread crumbs.

Original source or Inspiration: Kevin O’Donnell, Giusto”