Spanish Shellfish Stew with Lobster
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 10, 2009
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Picada
¼ cup slivered almonds (about 1 ounce)2 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ⅛ teaspoon salt Pinch ground black pepperStew
¼ cup olive oil 12 extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and shells reserved2 lobsters (1 ¼- to 1 ½-pounds each), claws, tail, and legs removed following illustrations below1 ½ cups dry white wine (see note)1 medium onion, minced1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fineSalt 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)1 teaspoon sweet paprika ¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons brandy 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, tomatoes chopped medium and juice reserved12 littleneck clams (about 1 ½ pounds), scrubbed (see note)12 mussels (about 8 ounces), scrubbed and debearded if necessary8 large sea scallops (about 8 ounces), tendons removed (see illustration below)1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves Ground black pepper 1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon, plus extra to tasteBefore You Begin
In Spain, this stew is made with langostinos, or prawns. Fresh prawns are difficult to find stateside, so we chose to use lobster instead. You will need to kill and break down the lobsters before cooking. This is much easier to do when the lobsters have been chilled in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes (do not overfreeze); expect some residual movement in the lobster pieces for a short while afterward. Be sure to buy shrimp with their shells on and reserve the shells when cleaning the shrimp; they add important flavor to the cooking liquid in step 2. We like Sauvignon Blanc or any non-oaky Chardonnay in this recipe. Any small clams, such as littlenecks work well, but avoid large clams which will not only take up more room in the pot, but will exude more liquid than desired, diluting the broth. The cooking time of the scallops will depend on their size; we used extra-large scallops (about 2 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick), but if your scallops are smaller (about 1 inch in diameter and 1/2 inch thick), they will cook more quickly and should be added to the pot with the shrimp.
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pulse the nuts in a food processor to fine crumbs, about 15 pulses. Add the bread, olive oil, salt, and pepper and continue to pulse the bread to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Spread the mixture out evenly over a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes; set aside to cool.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the reserved shrimp shells and lobster legs and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the wine, cover, and let steep until ready to use.
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the onion is softened and lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, paprika, saffron, pepper flakes, and bay leaves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the brandy and simmer for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and cook until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Strain the wine mixture into the Dutch oven through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the shrimp shells to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the shells. Continue to simmer until the flavors have melded, 3 to 5 minutes. (At this point, the broth can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Bring the broth to a simmer in a covered large Dutch oven over medium heat before continuing.)
- Increase the heat to medium high, add the clams and lobster claws, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the first few clams begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels, scallops, and lobster tails, cover, and continue to cook until most of the clams have opened, about 3 minutes longer. Add the shrimp, cover, and continue to cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through and the clams and mussels have opened, about 2 minutes longer.
- Discard the bay leaves and any mussels or clams that have not opened. Stir in the picada and parsley and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately.
for the picada
for the stew
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Picada
Stew
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Picada
Stew
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Picada
Stew
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To get an intensely flavored zarzuela recipe, bright with wine and tomatoes, and briny with perfectly cooked shellfish, we chose shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops, and lobsters, adding them in stages so each type was cooked until just done. We shelled the shrimp for the stew, but we realized that in doing so, we were losing out on the flavor contained in the shells. Our solution was to make a shrimp shell infusion with the white wine before adding the tomatoes to the broth—this simple step greatly improved the flavor of the zarzuela.
Before You Begin
In Spain, this stew is made with langostinos, or prawns. Fresh prawns are difficult to find stateside, so we chose to use lobster instead. You will need to kill and break down the lobsters before cooking. This is much easier to do when the lobsters have been chilled in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes (do not overfreeze); expect some residual movement in the lobster pieces for a short while afterward. Be sure to buy shrimp with their shells on and reserve the shells when cleaning the shrimp; they add important flavor to the cooking liquid in step 2. We like Sauvignon Blanc or any non-oaky Chardonnay in this recipe. Any small clams, such as littlenecks work well, but avoid large clams which will not only take up more room in the pot, but will exude more liquid than desired, diluting the broth. The cooking time of the scallops will depend on their size; we used extra-large scallops (about 2 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick), but if your scallops are smaller (about 1 inch in diameter and 1/2 inch thick), they will cook more quickly and should be added to the pot with the shrimp.
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pulse the nuts in a food processor to fine crumbs, about 15 pulses. Add the bread, olive oil, salt, and pepper and continue to pulse the bread to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Spread the mixture out evenly over a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes; set aside to cool.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the reserved shrimp shells and lobster legs and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the wine, cover, and let steep until ready to use.
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the onion is softened and lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, paprika, saffron, pepper flakes, and bay leaves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the brandy and simmer for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and cook until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Strain the wine mixture into the Dutch oven through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the shrimp shells to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the shells. Continue to simmer until the flavors have melded, 3 to 5 minutes. (At this point, the broth can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Bring the broth to a simmer in a covered large Dutch oven over medium heat before continuing.)
- Increase the heat to medium high, add the clams and lobster claws, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the first few clams begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels, scallops, and lobster tails, cover, and continue to cook until most of the clams have opened, about 3 minutes longer. Add the shrimp, cover, and continue to cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through and the clams and mussels have opened, about 2 minutes longer.
- Discard the bay leaves and any mussels or clams that have not opened. Stir in the picada and parsley and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately.
for the picada
for the stew
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