Shellfish Orzo Saffron Stew Food

SAFFRON ORZO

Steps:

• Cook 1 minced shallot in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup orzo and cook, stirring, until toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon each saffron and kosher salt and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then stir and reduce to a simmer; cover and cook until the orzo is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and season with salt.

ANYTIME FISH AND SHELLFISH STEW

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven. Add onions and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened and lightly colored, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in garlic, bay leaf, thyme, saffron and red pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Add wine and tomatoes, and simmer 1 minute. Add stock and bring to a slow boil over medium. Add potatoes and a good pinch of salt. Adjust heat to a brisk simmer. Cook with lid ajar until potatoes are just done, about 10 minutes. Taste broth - it should be well seasoned - and adjust as necessary. (You can do this up to an hour ahead of time.)
• As the broth simmers, add the clams, and cook for 5 minutes, covered with the lid ajar. Add cod and mussels on top, cover and cook until the mussels are done, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off heat, and let the stew steep for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mussels and clams open. Serve in wide soup bowls.

SHRIMP WITH SAFFRON ORZO

Steps:

• On high heat, bring broth to a boil.
• Reduce to low and simmer and add saffron.
• Return to boil and add orzo. Cook until tender (about 10 minutes).
• Drain orzo and add 4 tablespoons oil, salt, pepper, juice of half a lemon and parsley. Mix and set aside.
• Toss shrimp with salt, pepper, and remaining lemon juice.
• Heat remaining oil in saucepan.
• Add shrimp and cook until thoroughly pink about 4 minutes total.
• Mix shrimp with orzo.

ONE-POT SEAFOOD ORZO RISOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat broiler with rack 8 inches from heat source. Heat oil in a large ovenproof braiser or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, and fennel; saute, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in vermouth and saffron and cook 1 minute more.
• Add orzo, clam juice, and broth; bring to a simmer. Stir in mussels and simmer, stirring frequently, until almost all liquid is absorbed and orzo is al dente, about 9 minutes.
• Season shrimp and squid with salt and add to braiser with cockles, scattering throughout and nestling into orzo mixture. Broil 5 minutes. Season fish with salt and tuck into mixture. Broil until seafood is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Let stand 5 minutes, top with parsley, and serve.

SEAFOOD STEW WITH ORZO

Steps:

• Spray 4-quart Dutch oven with cooking spray. Add onions and garlic; cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender. Stir in tomato, carrot, broth, clam juice, pasta, wine, thyme, dill weed and pepper sauce. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is almost tender.
• Meanwhile, discard any broken-shell or open (dead) mussels. Scrub remaining mussels in cold water, removing any barnacles with a dull paring knife. Pull beard by giving it a tug (using a kitchen towel may help). If you have trouble removing it, use a pliers to grip and pull gently. Place mussels in large container. Cover with cool water. Agitate water with hand, then drain and discard water. Repeat several times until water runs clear; drain.
• Stir in mussels and remaining ingredients into Dutch oven. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fish flakes easily with fork and mussel shells have opened, removing mussels as they open. Discard any mussels that don't open. Return opened mussels to stew.

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.