Thomas Kellers Shellfish Broth Food

THOMAS KELLER'S SHELLFISH BROTH

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add shallots, carrots, and garlic; cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add fennel; cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook for 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Add wine and Pernod; simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add thyme, parsley, tarragon, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Add chicken stock; bring to a simmer. Add saffron and shellfish; return to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
• Remove from heat; let sit for about 15 minutes. Prepare an ice-water bath.
• Strain broth through a fine-mesh strainer. Strain again using same strainer lined with a triple layer of cheesecloth. Repeat 2 or 3 times, rinsing cheesecloth and strainer each time, until broth runs through cheesecloth like water.
• Transfer broth to ice bath. Stir occasionally, and cool. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

THOMAS KELLER'S MEDITERRANEAN BASS WITH SQUID, FENNEL, AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Place squid in a small bowl; add enough milk to cover. Let soak, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath. Add fennel; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice bath; drain, and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small saucepan, bring shellfish broth to a simmer over medium heat; reduce by half.
• Meanwhile, drain squid on paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Heat 1/8 inch olive oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium heat; add fennel, garlic, and thyme. When oil begins to sizzle, transfer pan to oven. Add tomato confit after 2 minutes.
• Lightly coat a large skillet with canola oil; set over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the fish with salt; season the flesh side with pepper. Add fish to pan, skin-side down, reducing heat to medium-low; weight fillets briefly with another skillet to prevent curling. Remove skillet, and cook until skin is golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a spatula, turn over fish and cook for 1 minute; drain on paper towels.
• Bring shellfish broth to a simmer; add squid, and simmer until bodies begin to curl, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley; remove from heat.
• Remove pan from oven; drain fennel and tomatoes on paper towels.
• Divide fish among 4 serving plates, centering them skin-side up; arrange fennel, tomatoes, and squid around fish. Pour one-quarter broth around each serving. Serve immediately.