Saffron And Orange Scented Seafood Stew

SEAFOOD STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot, add the onions, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, garlic, and saffron to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the shrimp, fish, and mussels, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish and shrimp should be cooked and the mussels opened. Discard any mussels that don't open. Stir in the Pernod, orange zest, and salt, to taste. Serve ladled over 1 or 2 slices of toasted baguette.;
• Warm the oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat for 15 minutes, 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. If not, you can make up the difference with water or white wine.

SAFFRON-AND-ORANGE-SCENTED SEAFOOD STEW

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. When it shimmers, add tomato paste and shrimp shells. Cook, stirring, until shells turn pink and opaque, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups water and gently boil 5 minutes. Strain shrimp broth into a heatproof bowl; discard solids. Stir saffron into broth.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a braiser pan or wide, shallow pot over medium. Add celery, shallots, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and thyme. Cover and cook until tomatoes collapse and release their juices, 6 to 8 minutes. Add wine and boil until mostly evaporated.
• Add clams to pan, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, covered, just until they begin to open, 6 to 8 minutes (discard any that don't open). Transfer clams to a large heatproof bowl and cover with a plate to keep warm. Add mussels to pan and cook, covered, just until they begin to open, about 5 minutes (discard any that don't open). Transfer mussels to bowl with clams.
• Add seafood stock, shrimp broth, and orange zest and juice to pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; simmer 5 minutes. Meanwhile, remove about half of clams and two-thirds of mussels from their shells, reserving meat and juices and discarding empty shells.
• Stir shrimp and fish into pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, just until shrimp and fish are firm and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Return shelled and in-shell clams and mussels and any accumulated juices to pan, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, sprinkle with celery leaves and parsley, drizzle with more oil, and serve with bread, if desired.

SEAFOOD STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot, add the onions, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium - low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, garlic, and saffron to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the shrimp, fish, and mussels, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish and shrimp should be cooked and the mussels opened. Discard any mussels that don't open. Stir in the Pernod, orange zest, and salt to taste. Serve ladled over one or two slices of toasted baguette.

FISH STEW WITH CLAMS

Steps:

• Prepare the stock: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic, celery, carrot, and onion and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add fish bones and head and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to a gentle simmer and let cook for 25 minutes, skimming the surface as necessary. Strain through a fine mesh strainer; discard solids and set aside.
• Prepare the suquet: Place a grater over a bowl and rub the cut surface of the tomatoes over the grater until all the flesh is grated; discard skins. In a deep pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add potatoes and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Stir in grated tomato and sugar, if using; continue cooking 2 minutes more. Add saffron and pimenton and cook for one minute.
• Add enough stock to just cover the potatoes. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Prepare the picada: Using a mortar and pestle, mash garlic and salt together until a thick paste is formed. Add parsley and one piece of potato from the stew; mix until well combined. Set aside.
• Season fish fillets with salt and cut each in half so you have four equal pieces; add to pot along with clams. Cook until clams begin to open, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in picada and season with salt. Serve immediately with allioli, if desired.

TOASTED GARLIC-BUTTER-AND-HERB BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat broiler, with rack 6 to 8 inches below element. In a bowl, stir together butter, garlic, herbs, and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper. Broil bread on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack, split side up, until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Divide butter mixture among toasts, spreading evenly to edges. Broil until crisp and golden brown in places and butter is sizzling, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm.

FISH STEW WITH ROAST GARLIC & SAFFRON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. To make the saffron and garlic paste, cut the whole heads of garlic in half horizontally. Place the garlic heads, cut-side up, on a small baking tray. Drizzle over a little olive oil and season with salt. Cover with foil and bake for 40-50 mins until softened. Remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 15-20 mins until the garlic has turned golden brown.
• Meanwhile, make the soup base. Chop the fennel, celery and onion into small dice and thinly slice the red chilli. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped vegetables. Grate the garlic into the pan and add the fennel seeds. Stir well, then cover and sweat for 10 mins. Add the saffron and bay leaves, and cook for a further 10 mins until the vegetables start to soften. Pour in the Pernod and wine, bring to the boil, then add the passata and 400ml water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 mins until all of the flavours have started to work together, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool a little.
• Transfer the soup to a jug blender and blend until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan - you may need to do this in batches. If the soup needs thickening, reduce over a medium heat. When it is the consistency of pouring cream, remove from the heat and set aside, or leave to cool and chill in the fridge until needed. The base of the soup can be made 3 days ahead.
• Meanwhile, for the paste, pour the Pernod into a small saucepan and add the saffron. Bring to the boil, add the olive oil and warm gently. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
• When the garlic is golden brown, remove the tray from the oven and squeeze the cloves out into the bowl of a pestle and mortar. Add a large pinch of flaky sea salt and pound to a paste. Slowly add the saffron-infused olive oil, stirring constantly. Transfer to a clean container and chill until needed.
• Bring the soup base to the boil in a large pan, then turn down to a light simmer and taste for seasoning. Add the chunks of prepared fish and squid, and gently poach the fish in the soup for 10 mins, or until it is just cooked. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Ladle the soup into bowls, piling up the fish in the centre. Spoon on the saffron and garlic paste and sprinkle over some more parsley. Serve with toasted slices of baguette and the extra saffron and garlic paste on the side.

CLAMS AND WHITE FISH IN CARROT-SAFFRON BROTH

Steps:

• To bloom saffron, crush it in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt; transfer to a small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon hot water; set aside. Rub orange zest over both sides of fish; season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Roughly chop dark-green parts of leek and half of fennel bulb. Place in a small saucepan; cover with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Strain; discard solids. Meanwhile, finely chop white and light-green parts of leek and remaining half of fennel bulb.
• Heat 1 tablespoon each oil and butter in a large straight-sided skillet (or large Dutch oven) over medium; add finely chopped leek and fennel and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and wine and cook until wine has evaporated, 1 minute.
• Add carrots, saffron mixture, clam juice, and 1 1/2 cups strained broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until carrots are crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add clams, cover, and cook until all have opened, about 10 minutes more. Remove clams and transfer to a bowl (discarding any unopened ones); cover to keep warm.
• Add fish to skillet, cover, and simmer until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer fish to a plate. Stir remaining 2 tablespoons butter into broth; season lightly with salt and pepper. Return clams and fish to skillet; heat through, 30 seconds. Serve with bread and orange wedges.