Seafood Stew With Saffron Infused Broth Recipes

SEAFOOD STEW WITH SAFFRON-INFUSED BROTH

Steps:

• Add the pinch of saffron to the white wine, and allow to soak for at least 10 minutes.
• In a heavy dutch oven on medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the finely chopped onion, carrots, and celery (mirepoix.) Using a wooden spoon, stir the vegetables occasionally.
• Add the chorizo, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Stir until onions are translucent and chorizo begins to brown and render its fat.
• De-glaze the pot with the saffron and wine. Stir up the browned bits.
• Add the stock, potatoes, diced tomatoes in their juice, bay leaves, and chopped chard stems. Bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer until vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes.)
• Add chard leaves, fish, and shellfish. Cover pot. Simmer until fish and prawns are barely opaque (about 2-3 minutes.)
• Check for seasoning.
• Ladle into large soup bowls.
• Garnish with fresh, chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley and a wedge of lemon.
• Serve with toasted baguette smeared with roasted garlic and topped with shaved pecorino or parmesano reggiano. Broil just until cheese begins to melt.

SEAFOOD IN SAFFRON BROTH

Steps:

• Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb, discarding stalks. Finely chop fennel and onion. Seed tomato and finely chop. Mince garlic. Scrub mussels well and remove beards. Shell shrimp and devein. Cut scrod into 1-inch pieces. Stir saffron into wine.
• In a 4-quart kettle cook fennel and onion in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine mixture and simmer until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 3 minutes. Add mussels with 1/2 cup stock and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until most mussels are opened, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp, scrod, tomato, and remaining 2 1/2 cups stock and cook at a bare simmer until fish is just cooked through, about 2 minutes. (Discard any unopened mussels.) Season mixture with salt and pepper.
• Divide seafood between 2 bowls and ladle broth over it. Garnish seafood with lemon wedges and serve with bread.

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 WITH SAFFRON AND ROUILLE

Steps:

• Make the rouille. Preheat broiler. Cut the pepper into thick strips and place them face down on foil paper on a broiling rack. Broil until the skins are charred. Place in a closed paper bag for a few minutes, then peel off the skin.
• Put the pepper strips in the jar of a blender with bread crumbs, egg yolks and the garlic. Puree. Very gradually, little by little, add the olive oil until you have a thick, mayonaise-like sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a bowl and set aside.
• Meanwhile, put the potatoes on to boil. Rinse the leeks, slice them and rinse the slices carefully to remove any traces of grit.
• Bring the wine to boil, add the saffron and set aside. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy casserole and soften the leeks with the garlic. When soft, add the tomatoes, thyme and the saffron-white wine mixture. Cover and allow to simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, adding a little water or wine if it gets dry.
• Meanwhile, debeard the mussels and wash them thoroughly, discarding any that are open and refuse to close when tapped, or that are broken. Place the shrimp in a small bowl of cold water and add salt.
• Rinse the shrimp. Add the mussels, shrimp and scallops to the casserole. Cook until the mussels have opened (three to four minutes). Serve the stew in soup bowls, ladling on the sauce. Serve the potatoes and the rouille separately.