Provencal Shellfish Stew Recipes

PROVENçAL FISH STEW

Steps:

• Drain chickpeas. If you used dried, reserve cooking liquid; if they are canned, discard the liquid and rinse the chickpeas. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's hot, add bread crumbs, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until they're crisp and toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet; increase heat to medium-high. When oil is hot, add garlic, olives, capers and anchovies. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, a minute or two. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until it darkens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Start adding spinach a handful at a time; keep stirring until all the spinach fits in the pan and starts to release its water; sprinkle with a little more pepper, then add the stock, chickpeas and red chile flakes if you're using them. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently but steadily, then stir in the squid and the shrimp. Cook until the seafood is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide among bowls, sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve.

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.

SHELLFISH STEW PROVENçALE

Steps:

• Clean the hard-shelled clams:
• Scrub the clams thoroughly with a stiff brush under cold water, discarding any that have cracked shells or that are not shut tightly.
• Make the stew:
• In a kettle cook the onion, the fennel, and the bell pepper in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened. Stir in the zest, the minced thyme, the bay leaf, the cayenne, and the saffron, cook the mixture, stirring, for 30 seconds, and add the wine, the stock, the tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 15 minutes, add the garlic, and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. The stew may be prepared up to this point 2 days in advance, cooled, uncovered, and kept covered and chilled. Stir in the shrimp and the clams and simmer the mixture, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the crab legs and the scallops, simmer the stew, covered, for 3 minutes, or until the scallops are just cooked through and the clams are opened, and discard the bay leaf and any unopened clams. Divide the stew among 8 heated bowls and garnish it with the thyme sprigs.
• Make the stock:
• In a well-buttered heavy saucepan combine the fish bones and trimmings, the onion, the parsley, the lemon juice, and the salt and steam the mixture, covered, over moderately high heat for 5 minutes. Add the water and the wine, bring the liquid to a boil, skimming the froth, and simmer the stock for 20 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl, let it cool to warm, and chill it, covered. The stock keeps, covered and chilled, for 1 week if it is brought to a boil every 2 days and then allowed to cool to warm, uncovered, before being chilled again. The stock keeps, frozen, for 3 months. Makes about 6 cups.

PROVENCAL FISH STEW

Steps:

• In a large skillet heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft.
• Add the bell pepper and cook for 4 minutes or until crisp-tender.
• Add the tomatoes and their juice, the broth fennel seeds, salt, cayenne and olives. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; add the halibut and cod, cover and cook for 7 minutes or until the fish are cooked through. Stir in the basil and serve hot.

PROVENCAL FISH STEW

Steps:

• Slice the leeks and place them in a bowl of cold water. Rinse thoroughly to make sure all the grit is removed.
• Saute the peppers, carrots, fennel and garlic in the olive oil with the pepper flakes until soft but not brown. Add the tomatoes and a cup and a half of water. Add the potatoes and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
• Meanwhile, scrub the mussels and the clams. Heat the white wine in a large pan and add the shellfish. Cook them over high heat until they open (the mussels will open first). Remove them from the pan as soon as they open their shells; otherwise, they will become tough. Strain the cooking liquid if there is any sand in it and add it to the tomatoes and vegetables.
• Cut the fish fillets into two-inch pieces. Cut the squid into one-inch pieces. Add them to the casserole, cover and cook for five minutes. Add the shellfish just long enough to heat through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.