This hearty, classic dish features a double dose of lobster—they are used to
create the savory lobster stock and then the claws and tails are added to the stew, along with a mixture of other North Atlantic varieties, including scallops, shrimp, clams and mussels. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the rich broth and a glass of spicy white whine.
Seafood Stew (Serves 4)
Lobster Stock
4 Whole Lobsters
1 Spanish Onion (chopped)
½ Head Celery
3 Carrots Medium Carrots (chopped)
1-Teaspoon Saffron
1/2-Cup Tomato Paste
Blanch lobster in salted boiling water for 7 minutes. Remove and place in an ice water bath. Remove tail and claws, keep on side; pull off top shell from lobster and discard. Remove lobster insides and sack and discard. In a stockpot, sauté onion and carrots until the onions are translucent. Add cleaned lobster bodies and sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and sauté for 5 minutes. Add celery and 2 quarts water; simmer for 2 hours. Strain. Add saffron, salt and pepper.
Stew
Claws and Tails from 4 Lobsters
8 Scallops
12 Shrimp
12 Clams
24 Mussels
8 Roasted Tomatoes
2 Yellow Holland Peppers
8 Fingerling Potatoes
1/2 Pound Butter
Fresh Herbs
Fingerling potatoes – blanch potatoes until tender, put in ice bath, drain and slice into thirds.
Roasted peppers – roast peppers over an open flame. Wrap in plastic wrap until cool. Clean off charred skin and deseed. Cut into 14 pieces.
Roasted tomatoes – cut Roma tomatoes in half, mix with salt, pepper, sugar, thyme and garlic. Roast in oven for 2 hours at 225 degrees.
Sauté potatoes until golden brown. Sear scallops until dark brown. Add claws and tails from lobsters, shrimp, clams and mussels. Add lobster stock, roasted tomatoes, and Holland peppers. Cook until clams and mussels open. Add a third of a pound of butter and fresh herbs; season with salt and pepper to taste.