Well, after two days off …not really, transplanting some pot-bound indoor plants and watching them sigh a big sigh of relief, here it is..Monday morning. So..I absolutely love risotto and this is for the hard-core seafood diner. Trust me!
- 2 tbsp. virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 bulb fennel, cored and chopped
- 3 tbsp. tomato paste
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth
- 1/2 tsp. saffron
- 1 pound orzo
- 2 cups clam juice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 12 mussels
- 16-18 shrimp. deveined
- 1/2 lb. squid rings
- 1 lb. small clams
- 1 lb. meaty white fish, cut into chunks
- flat leaf parsley leaves for garnish
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and fennel, stirring until just starting to brown. (3 minutes), add the tomato paste and season with a little salt and pepper and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 2 more minutes. Stir in the vermouth and saffron and cook for 1 minute.
Add the orzo and now, using a large ladle, add the clam juice and broth, stirring constantly until the orzo is el dente and the liquid is almost all absorbed. Add the shrimp, squid and baby clams into the pot, stirring under to cover the seafood. Stir gently for about 5 minutes until the seafood is cooked through. Season the fish with salt and pepper and gently tuck under the orzo and cook about 5 minutes more. Let stand for five minutes before serving and sprinkle some of the smaller parsley leaves over.
In warm bowls, ladle out the orzo. If you wish put a few wedges of lemon/lime on the table and let everyone help themselves.
You may need a whip to hold the guests back and stop the neighbours from breaking down your door just to taste this. Enjoy!
Spicy Clams With Linguine For a Special Night
This recipe will serve two, so adjust if having company for dinner.
- 8 oz. linguine
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 minced cloves of garlic
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 18 littleneck clams, scrubbed *
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, plus 1 tbsp. thinly sliced stems
- Generous amount of grated Asiago cheese -optional
Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the water. Drain the remaining water.
Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds, making sure to stir continuously. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Increase the temperature to medium-high and add the clams. Cover and cook until the clams open (4-6 minutes). Should any of the clams not open up, be sure to discard.
Stir in the butter, parsley and stems. Add the pasta and toss to coat completely. Add the pasta water, 1 tbsp. at a time until the sauce is loose and creamy. Top with a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper and grated Asiago cheese if you wish.
*TASTE first, then add a little salt if necessary as the clams are naturally salty and you do not want to ruin the dish.
Divide equally into your prettiest bowls, garlic toast and chilled wine. What a date night this could be. Enjoy.
Gena and Don’s Seafood Paella
A few years ago, our friend Gena was out for a visit and, after pouring her a glass or two of white wine, the two of them started to invent. This is basically what transpired. Me? I set the table and watched and just listened to these two. Believe me, this was an education. More laughter than a comedy club.
- 3 tbsp. Spanish olive oil
- 1/2 – 3/4 lb. raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 1/2 tsp. sweet Spanish smoked paprika
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 4 oz. Spanish chorizo, sliced into 1/4 inch half moons
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
- 2 tbsp. minced garlic
- pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 3 cups of fish or chicken stock
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 pound manila clams, well washed and purged
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 lb. mussels, well scrubbed and debearded
- 3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
- 2 lobster tails, quartered
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Set a 14 inch paella pan over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season shrimp with 2 teaspoons paprika and pinch of salt. Once oil is hot, sear shrimp, about 1 minute per side. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the remaining oil and chorizo to pan and sear, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is nicely browned (1 – 3 minutes).
Add onion, garlic and saffron to pan and saute, stirring often, until lightly carmelized – 6 – 7 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Season with the remaining salt and paprika. Add stock to the pan, bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer and cook, without stirring, until the rice is no longer soupy but some liquid still remains. Give the rice a stir to loosen and add the clams with their opening edges facing up. Reduce to low heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the peas, mussels (again, facing up) and shrimp to the pan and continue and stir if using lobster tails.
Transfer pan to the oven and cook until the clams and muassels have opened and most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the rice is almost cooked through (10 minutes). Remove from the oven, cover and let stand for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with the garnished parsley.
Oh yeah, be sure to have more wine in the cooler. Now, where did I put my glass? Gena, did you take it?