Instructions: Place the shells and heads in a small pot and crush with a hammer.

Put a drop of the grapeseed (or vegetable) oil in a pan and sweat the shells over a low heat for a few minutes until they are dry.

Add the onion celery carrot garlic and thyme and sweat until the celery and carrot have softened.

Add the water then the tomato paste.

Be careful not to bum the ingredients and to dissolve the tomato paste fully in the water.

Add the rest of the oil stir well and bring to the boil.

Then lower the heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Take off the heat and leave to sit for a while.

Strain discarding the shells.

Allow to stand: the oil and water should have separated.

Skim off the oil and place it in a clean jar. Strain the remaining liquid through an oil or coffee filter and into a bowl. (The leftover liquid can be used as a soup or a sauce.)

This is particularly good with seafood dishes such as the angelhair pasta with scampi (qv). The oil can also be made using prawns.

Makes 300ml

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