Saffron And Orange Scented Seafood Stew Recipes

CLAMS AND WHITE FISH IN CARROT-SAFFRON BROTH

Steps:

• To bloom saffron, crush it in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt; transfer to a small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon hot water; set aside. Rub orange zest over both sides of fish; season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Roughly chop dark-green parts of leek and half of fennel bulb. Place in a small saucepan; cover with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Strain; discard solids. Meanwhile, finely chop white and light-green parts of leek and remaining half of fennel bulb.
• Heat 1 tablespoon each oil and butter in a large straight-sided skillet (or large Dutch oven) over medium; add finely chopped leek and fennel and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and wine and cook until wine has evaporated, 1 minute.
• Add carrots, saffron mixture, clam juice, and 1 1/2 cups strained broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until carrots are crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add clams, cover, and cook until all have opened, about 10 minutes more. Remove clams and transfer to a bowl (discarding any unopened ones); cover to keep warm.
• Add fish to skillet, cover, and simmer until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer fish to a plate. Stir remaining 2 tablespoons butter into broth; season lightly with salt and pepper. Return clams and fish to skillet; heat through, 30 seconds. Serve with bread and orange wedges.

TOMATO-SAFFRON FISH STEW

Steps:

• Slice a piece of orange peel about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and the length of one side of an orange. Briefly whirl tomatoes and juice in a food processor or blender, just until broken up, but not puréed.
• In a large saucepan or soup pot, stir tomatoes with 4 cups (1 L) water, bay leaf, peel strip and saffron. Place over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic, thyme, fennel, salt, celery salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to develop flavor.
• In a measuring cup, stir flour with 1/3 cup (75 mL) cold water until no lumps remain. After tomato mixture has simmered 15 minutes, slowly add to flour and water mixture while stirring constantly. Continue simmering, uncovered and stirring often, until mixture has thickened and no taste of flour remains, from 10 to 15 minutes.
• Taste, and add salt and pepper, if needed. Broth will have a very strong taste, which mellows when seafood is added. If making ahead, remove from heat at this point and refrigerate. Covered, broth will keep well for 3 days.
• Meanwhile, removing any bones or shells (but not from mussels or clams), cut fish or seafood into bite-size chunks.
• When ready to serve, remove bay leaf and orange peel from broth. If using clams, stir into hot stew and simmer 10 minutes before adding remaining fish and seafood. Stir fish, seafood, including any mussels and parsley, into simmering stew.
• Simmer, covered and stirring often, until clam or mussel shells have opened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with more chopped fresh parsley. Serve with a crisp baguette or sourdough bread to dip into the broth.

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.