Romesco Seafood Stew Recipes

CATALAN STEW WITH LOBSTER AND CLAMS

Steps:

• Boil or steam lobsters for 10 minutes, then rinse with cool water. Crack shells, remove meat and cut into large chunks. Put shells in a large pot, cover with 10 cups water and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain, reserve broth and discard shells.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place almonds and hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast until fairly dark, about 12 to 15 minutes. Rub skins from hazelnuts; discard skins.
• Place a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add olive oil to depth of 1/4 inch. When oil is hot, fry bread slices slowly on both sides until crisp and golden, 5 to 6 minutes, adjusting heat if bread is browning too quickly. Remove bread, drain on paper towel and cut into rough 1/2-inch cubes; set aside. Pour off all but about 4 tablespoons oil (Save excess oil for another purpose.) Add onion to pot, season with salt and pepper and cook until onion is softened and lightly colored, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put dried ñora or ancho chiles in a small pot of water and simmer for about 15 minutes, until softened, then drain, discarding water.
• Put almonds, hazelnuts, fried bread, garlic, dried chiles, Fresno chiles, piquillo peppers and pimentón in a large mortar and pound to a rough paste. (You may use a food processor instead.)
• Add chile mixture to softened onions and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato purée and wine and simmer until mixture has dried out a bit. Add 8 cups lobster broth and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning. If too thick, add a little more broth. (May be prepared up to this point several hours ahead.)
• To serve, bring to a brisk simmer and add clams. When clams begin to open, add lobster meat and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in parsley and ladle the stew into 4 to 6 large soup bowls.

CHEF JOHN'S ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Turn on a gas stove and roast bell peppers over the open flame until soft and blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Peppers should emit steam when pressed. Transfer peppers to a bowl, cover, and let cool to room temperature.
• Combine oil and garlic in a skillet. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic just starts to turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Move garlic to a ramekin using a slotted spoon, leaving all the oil in the skillet.
• Toast bread in the oil until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Peel peppers under running water. Cut peppers open and remove the seeds. Chop into cubes and transfer to a food processor. Add garlic, bread cubes with oil, almonds, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Pulse on and off until sauce is well combined and reaches your desired texture.
• Transfer sauce to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to intensify the flavors, 8 hours to overnight.

SHRIMP WITH ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Stir almonds in heavy small skillet over medium heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer almonds to processor. Place bread in same skillet and cook until lightly toasted, about 1 minute per side. Tear bread into pieces and add to processor. With machine running, drop garlic through feed tube and process until almonds and garlic are finely chopped. Add red peppers, oil, vinegar and cayenne pepper and process until mixture is consistency of thick mayonnaise, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Arrange cooked shrimp on plates. Spoon romesco sauce over and serve.

EASY ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat broiler with the rack in top position. Place peppers, skin side up, on a broiler pan or baking sheet and broil until the skins blister and blacken in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer peppers to a bowl. When peppers are cool enough to handle, peel but don't wash them (the water would rinse away some of the roasted flavor).
• In a food processor, pulse bread and almonds until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add peppers, tomato, oil, vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; process until mixture is thick and fairly smooth, 20 to 30 seconds. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.