Catalan Seafood Stew

YIELD: 3 qts.

1 red bell pepper
¼ cup almonds, lightly toasted, blanched
2 garlic cloves
½ cup Italian bread, grilled, chopped into small pieces
3 Tbsps. olive oil
1 cup onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves
32 oz. canned tomatoes, whole, smashed or roughly chopped
½ cup white wine
3 ½ cups water
1 ¼ tsp. gluten-free clam base
1 ½ tsp. sautéed vegetable base (mirepoix)
2 tsps. red chile adobo flavor concentrate
2 tsps. paprika
½ tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. saffron filament, threads
1 lb. mussels, de-bearded, cleaned
10-12 clams, cleaned
½ lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 lb. cod or monkfish, 2” pieces
3 Tbsps. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. sherry vinegar

1. Coat red pepper with a little olive oil and roast over an open flame. After well charred, place in a small bowl, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 10 minutes.
2. Put the pepper, almonds, garlic and bread in a food processor and blend until fairly smooth paste. Reserve for later use.
3. Heat 3 Tbsps. olive oil in a large thick pot, and sauté onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute. Deglaze pot with white wine and water.
4. Stir in clam base, vegetable base and red chile adobo flavor concentrate, then add tomatoes and seasonings to the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. After that, increase heat and bring to a rolling boil.
5. Ladle out about 4 oz. of the hot liquid into the reserved pepper paste (picada) and mix well. Add that back into the pot and cook until broth is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and keep at a nice simmer. Add the clams and mussels into the pot and cook until they start to open up, about 5 minutes. Add in the shrimp and the fish and cook an additional 5-7 minutes. Add the sherry and parsley. Discard any unopened shellfish.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Recipe: Chef Kurt Kwiatkowski Photo: MINOR’S