Fideos With Seafood

SEAFOOD FIDEOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Lay the dry vermicelli pasta on a sheet pan and toast until it is all a nice amber color, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Cook the toasted vermicelli in boiling salted water until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the vermicelli and set aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the shallots and garlic in a large rondeau pan over medium heat. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the pipperade, heavy cream and saffron stock. Cook until the sauce has reduced to a thick sauce (nape), 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cooked vermicelli and stir until fully incorporated. Add the mussels and steam until they fully open, a few minutes.
• While the mussels are cooking, saute the shrimp in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until just cooked. Season with salt.
• Add the sauteed shrimp to the fideos. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fideos and sprinkle with the chopped herbs. Serve immediately.
• Sweat the bell peppers, onions and garlic in the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Halfway through the cooking process, add chile flakes and paprika. Continue to sweat until most of the liquid is gone. Remove from the heat and add the piquillo peppers, poblano and vinegar.
• Put the wine and saffron into a pot. Turn the heat to high and reduce the wine by half. By then the saffron will be bloomed and ready. Add the veg stock and bring to boil. Let boil for a few minutes, and then cool it down.

FIDEO CON CAMARONES (SEARED SHRIMP WITH FIDEO)

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over high heat for 2 minutes and toast the fideo, tossing constantly, until most of the fideo has browned, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to a medium bowl and set aside until ready to use.
• Heat the bacon fat in the same skillet over high heat and cook half the shrimp until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute per side; transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
• Reduce the heat to medium high and add the onion, poblano, garlic, serrano, tomatillos and salt in the same skillet; cook, tossing occasionally, until tender and just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the stock and fideo and bring to a boil; cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed, 17 to 22 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Arrange the shrimp on top, cover and let sit for 5 minutes to heat the shrimp through.
• Serve the fideo topped with avocado slices and cilantro leaves.

FIDEOS WITH MUSSELS

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup oil in a wide 6-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat until hot but not smoking, then add fideos and cook, stirring frequently and turning over, until golden brown (nests will break up), 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer pasta with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
• Add 2/3 cup onion and 1 teaspoon garlic to oil remaining in pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes, then stir in tomatoes with juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sugar. Increase heat to moderately high and simmer, stirring frequently, until tomatoes have broken down into a very thick paste, about 25 minutes.
• While sofrito simmers, cook chorizo, bay leaf, and remaining 2/3 cup onion and 1 teaspoon garlic in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in an 8-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil, then boil 5 minutes. Add stock and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and return to a boil, then add mussels. Cook, tightly covered, over moderate heat, until mussels open wide, 3 to 6 minutes. (Discard any mussels that remain unopened after 6 minutes.) Transfer mussels with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Discard bay leaf.
• Add mussel-cooking liquid and browned fideos to sofrito and boil, uncovered, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender and has absorbed most of liquid, 12 to 15 minutes. Add mussels and 1 tablespoon parsley and cook, tossing, until mussels are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with remaining tablespoon parsley.
• *Available at some supermarkets and tienda.com (888-472-1022).