Creamy Shellfish And Root Vegetable Stew Food

CREAMY SHELLFISH AND ROOT VEGETABLE STEW

Steps:

• Bring clam juice and wine to simmer in heavy large pot. Add clams, then mussels to pot. Cover; cook until shellfish begin to open, about 2 minutes for mussels and about 8 minutes for clams. Using slotted spoon, transfer shellfish to large bowl as they open. Discard any that do not open after 12 minutes. Reserve liquid in pot.
• Add shrimp shells to cooking liquid. Cover and simmer over low heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain liquid into 4-cup glass measuring cup. Discard solids.
• Melt butter in clean large pot over low heat. Add leek. Cover; cook until leek is tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add potato and celery root. Pour in reserved cooking liquid, leaving any sediment in measuring cup. Add Calvados. Bring to simmer. Cover and simmer until potato is almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp and scallops. Cover; simmer 2 minutes.
• Whisk crème fraîche, egg yolks and lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Stir into stew. Return clams and mussels to pot. Cover and cook without boiling until shrimp and scallops are just cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls. Sprinkle parsley over.

ROOT VEGETABLE STEW

Steps:

• Prepare onion, garlic and rosemary. Chop potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes and turnip into bite sized pieces (1/2" to 3/4"), or whatever size you prefer.
• Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute, stirring frequently to ensure no scorching. When onion starts to go translucent, add rosemary and continue to stir, 2 to 3 minutes. Rosemary should be fragrant.
• Add potato, carrot, sweet potato and turnip, and toss to coat with onion/olive oil mixture, continuing to stir for a few minutes to heat vegetables but be careful they don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
• Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Vegetables should be very tender and broth should be reduced by at least half.
• Scoop into shallow bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve with a nice Italian or multi-grain bread, and a white wine of your choice.

SHELLFISH STEW PROVENçALE

Steps:

• Clean the hard-shelled clams:
• Scrub the clams thoroughly with a stiff brush under cold water, discarding any that have cracked shells or that are not shut tightly.
• Make the stew:
• In a kettle cook the onion, the fennel, and the bell pepper in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened. Stir in the zest, the minced thyme, the bay leaf, the cayenne, and the saffron, cook the mixture, stirring, for 30 seconds, and add the wine, the stock, the tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 15 minutes, add the garlic, and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. The stew may be prepared up to this point 2 days in advance, cooled, uncovered, and kept covered and chilled. Stir in the shrimp and the clams and simmer the mixture, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the crab legs and the scallops, simmer the stew, covered, for 3 minutes, or until the scallops are just cooked through and the clams are opened, and discard the bay leaf and any unopened clams. Divide the stew among 8 heated bowls and garnish it with the thyme sprigs.
• Make the stock:
• In a well-buttered heavy saucepan combine the fish bones and trimmings, the onion, the parsley, the lemon juice, and the salt and steam the mixture, covered, over moderately high heat for 5 minutes. Add the water and the wine, bring the liquid to a boil, skimming the froth, and simmer the stock for 20 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl, let it cool to warm, and chill it, covered. The stock keeps, covered and chilled, for 1 week if it is brought to a boil every 2 days and then allowed to cool to warm, uncovered, before being chilled again. The stock keeps, frozen, for 3 months. Makes about 6 cups.