Romesco de peix (with rockling and shellfish)

Name: Romesco de peix (with rockling and shellfish)
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1kg shellfish shells and heads, such as crab or prawn; 100ml olive oil, plus 2 tbsp; 1 garlic head, halved; 3 small carrots, peeled, roughly chopped; 1 onion, peeled, roughly chopped; 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 2 tsp black peppercorns; salt; 100ml brandy; 400g can chopped tomatoes; 5 thyme sprigs; 4 bay leaves; 5 parsley stalks; 1.6 litres water; 1 rockling fillet (or other firm white fish); 1 calamari cut into 4cm-square pieces; 1 tbsp parsley, chopped; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 8 medium prawns, peeled, deveined; 1 tbsp dry sherry; 8 extra large mussels, cleaned; 8 clams; 1/4 cup romesco sauce (see )

July 20, 2015

Romesco sauce lays the foundation for this superb rockling and shellfish dish.Marcel Aucar

Time:1-2 hoursServes:4

Romesco, the distinctive rust-coloured sauce from Spain, is usually served with grilled fish or as a dip for vegetables. One of my favourite ways to use this sauce is adding it to a rich seafood broth with several kinds of fish and shellfish. This version has rockling, a firm white fish that is good in winter, as well as mussels, prawns and clams.

Ingredients

1kg shellfish shells and heads, such as crab or prawn
100ml olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
1 garlic head, halved
3 small carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled, roughly chopped
1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
salt
100ml brandy
400g can chopped tomatoes
5 thyme sprigs
4 bay leaves
5 parsley stalks
1.6 litres water
1 rockling fillet (or other firm white fish)
1 calamari cut into 4cm-square pieces
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
8 medium prawns, peeled, deveined
1 tbsp dry sherry
8 extra large mussels, cleaned
8 clams
1/4 cup romesco sauce (see recipe here)

Method

For the bisque (broth)
Preheat oven to 180C.
Roast shellfish shells and heads in a baking tray for about 30 minutes or until fragrant, then use a meat mallet to break up the crab shells, if using, into smaller pieces.
Heat oil in a large, heavy pan over high heat. Add unpeeled garlic and cook for 1 minute until lightly golden. Add carrot, onion, fennel, fennel seeds and peppercorns, and season with salt. Cook for about 10 minutes or until caramelised, stirring regularly.
Deglaze the pan with brandy, then add tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, parsley, water and roasted shells. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for an hour, skimming any scum that rises to the surface.
Using a stick blender, blend the mixture as finely as possible. Strain mixture though a fine sieve and discard any solids.
Transfer bisque to a saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until reduced slightly, intensifying the flavour. Keep the bisque warm.
For stew
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, deep frying pan over high heat. Cut rockling into large pieces and add to pan with calamari.
Cook calamari and rockling for about 1 minute each side. Remove rockling from pan and add parsley, garlic and prawns to the calamari. Add sherry and cook for 1 minute until prawns are cooked.
Remove prawns and add 1-2 cups of bisque. Add mussels and clams, cover with a lid and cook for about 1 minute until shells open.
Return rockling and prawns to the pan. Stir in the romesco sauce until it thickens and clings to seafood.
Transfer stew to a large serving plate.
TIP: You can vary the seafood ingredients for this dish or just use prawns if you prefer. Leftover romesco sauce can be used as a dip.