Overall quite a stunning dish. One objection may be that it is perhaps just a bit too intense.
Ingredients:
-one cup chopped fresh Ontario leeks (still available on Dec 31!)
-one cup chopped Ontario french shallots
-one cup chopped celery
-one medium fine chopped jalapeno pepper
-fresh cup chopped dill (forgot but would have worked)
-3 heritage carrots chopped
-about half a pound of small (tender) octopus cut up
-A couple of garlic cloves chopped
-a bit of dried basil, dried parsley
-enough olive oil to simmer all of the above together in a large covered pot
When hot…
– 3 or 4 small live crabs
– a couple of pounds of mussels
– a couple of pounds of clams (optional – flaverful but tough and expensive)
– a pound or so of precooked skate (perhaps not next time.. seems there may be sustainability issues here!)
– two or three cups of Italian crushed tomatoes from a bottle (not can)
– half a cup of white wine
– two lemons and a lime
Poor in the wine and crushed tomatoes along with the crabs, mussels, clams and steam away.
When shellfish is done add lemon and lime juice. I remove the shells then add the precooked fish (skate in this case) and voila.
Oh, sprinkle in cayenne to taste. This is a great dish for a cayenne kick!
Serve with the best fresh French bread you can get and a glass of crisp white.
