Baja Seafood Stew

BAJA SEAFOOD STEW

Steps:

• Cook & stir onion, chiles and garlic in oil in 6-quart Dutch oven until onion is tender.
• Stir in remaining ingredients except for seafood.
• Heat to boiling, reduce heat & simmer uncovered 15 minutes.
• Add clams; cover & simmer until clams open, 5-10 minutes. (Discard any clams that have not opened.).
• Carefully stir in shrimp, cod and crabmeat. Heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover & simmer until shrimp are pink and cod flakes easily with fork, about 4-5 minutes.

SEAFOOD STOCK

Steps:

• Warm the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, onions, carrots, and celery and saute for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add 1 1/2 quarts of water, the white wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Strain through a sieve, pressing the solids. You should have approximately 1 quart of stock. You can make up the difference with water or wine if you need to.

BAJA SEAFOOD CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and pepper flakes. Saute until the onion is translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the stock, wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, basil, bay leaf, and potato. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the soup is thick but still fairly liquid, about 30 min. Season to taste with salt/pepper. Discard any clams that are cracked or open. Add the clams to the pot along with the fish and shrimp. Raise the heat slightly, cover and cook until the fish flakes, the shrimp turn pink and the clams open (20 minutes). Discard any clams that do not open during ocoking. Ladle into warmed bowls, garnish with cilantro and pass the lime wedges at the table.