Last week we had some friends for dinner. Actual term is Guinea Pig Dinner - no idea of what we are serving, hence, they become the guinea pigs for dinner. We decided we would have seafood so we went to New Bedford to get some mussels, shrimp and swordfish from Kyler's Catch Seafood and some golden yukon fingerlings at Sid Wainer & Son. Jeff had found a recipe for mussels and shrimp and we were eager to try it. What we liked about the recipe was that it had some citrus in the broth and it peaked our culinary interest. The only downside to this recipe is that we don't know where we got it. It was in a magazine under a special advertising special. I love to give credit to the author or chef.
The prep time was pretty quick once we got the shrimp peeled and deveined. The house smelled heavenly as the mixture was simmering and the final product was delicious. The shrimp and mussels were tender and nicely flavored. The broth was light and flavorful (with that little bit of lemon and orange zest and hot pepper kick!) and the bread was perfect for sopping up the remains after the shrimp and mussels were gone.
We're looking forward to trying this again, especially as we begin to hit the warmer weather and we can sit outside enjoying this like a mini clambake.
Basic Description: Tender mussels and shrimp are cooked in a golden saffron tomato broth, which is enhanced with fresh citrus flavor.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
2 (14.5 oz) cans of Hunt's Petite Diced Tomatoes - undrained
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon drained capers
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon red hot pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound jumbo shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined
2 1/2 pounds of mussels, scrubbed well and beards removed (if attached)
1 loaf artisan Italian bread cut into slices
Heat oil in a large skillet of dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add saffron, undrained tomatoes, water, capers, lemon zest, orange zest, lemon juice, orange juice, hot red pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.
Add shrimp, return to a simmer and simmer until shrimp is just cooked through, stirring occasionally about 3-4 minutes. Transfer shrimp with slotted spoon to bowl and set aside. Add mussels to skillet and return liquid to simmer, cook and cover, just until mussels open wide, about 4-6 minutes. (Discard any mussels that remain unopened after 8 minutes.) Return shrimp to the skillet.
Serve the stew in shallow soup bowls with bread on the side for dipping.
