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Dungeness Crab Zarzuela

Zarzuela is a dish prepared in the South of France in the Catalon region. I first had it at a restaurant in Perpingnan where it was served in a huge paella pan for the entire table. In France they serve this dish with a kind of lobster crawfish called a langouste. I have never seen them here and as a San Franciscian I am more than happy to substitute Dungeness crab. Although I am pretty sure any kind of shellfish will suffice. The beauty of htis dish is that the seafood is kept moist and steamy by the sauce and the buttered bread adds the fatty butter taste that goes so well with seafood.

Ingredients

Conversions to European measurements can be found here!

2 large whole dungeness crabs cooked, cleaned, and broken into sections
2 pounds small manila clams
1/2 pound squid steaks scored and cut into strips
2 rock fish cleaned, head/tail removed cut into large chuncks
2 tablespoons flour
1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
4 large yellow onions chopped 1 inch squares
4 large bell peppers chopped 1 inch squares
4 slices smoked bacon chopped 1 inch squares
8 garlic cloves peeled and diced fine
2 large red tomatoes chopped small
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon plus the zest
2 cups white wine
2 tablespoons Pastis
1/4 cup minced italian flat leaf parsely
12 pieces sourbread slices toasted
8 tablespoons garlic butter

Procedure

Begin by heating a very large saute pan, paella pan, or stock pot over medium high heat. Whatever pan you choose it should be capable of holding all the ingredients (excpet the bread slices).

Start by frying off the bacon. Once the bacon has cooked remove it from the pan but retain the grease. Dust the rock fish in flour and place them in the pan over medium high heat. Allow the fish to sear undisturbed for about 2 minutes. Using tongs flip the fish and sear it again for 2 minutes. remove the fish from the pan once it has cooked and reserve it along with the bacon.

Next add the butter and allow it to melt when the foaming subsides add the olive oil. As soon as the oil is hot add the onions to the pan. Saute the onions for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften then add the peppers. Once the peppers begin to soften add the garlic and saute for an additional 5 minutes.

Add the lemon juice, zest and white wine to the pan. Turn the heat to high and bring the liquid to a full boil.

Add the clams followed by the squid. Cook all of this together until the clams begin to open. Finally add the crab pieces. Steam them all together until the crab legs are hot and the clams have opened. Return the bacon to the pan along with the Pastis and toss all the ingredients together. Finally return the fish to the pan and spoon the pan juices over the top. Sprinkle the parsely over the top and it is ready to be served.

Coat the toasted sourbread pieces with garlic butter and serve alongside the Zarzuela.