MARISCADA (Seafood Stew)
Serves 6 to 8
Adapted from a recipe by Felipe Rojas-Lombardi

24 mussels or clams
2 lbs shrimps (medium sized)
1 lb sea scallops
2 cans plum tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 onion chopped
1 piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine or beer
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp coarse salt
1 big tomato chopped

Wash the seafood very well, rinsing in cold water and draining in colander. Process the plum tomatoes. Set aside. In a big sauté pan or wok, heat olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, ginger and sauté until carrot is translucent, Add the thyme, bay leaves, cumin, carrot and celery and sauté until carrot has softened slightly. Add wine or beer and cook until most liquid evaporated. Add the processed tomato and the sugar. Cook at medium heat, stirring now and then, until tomato sauce thickens. Stir in the salt. Add the mussels or clams. Add the fresh tomato pieces and the shrimp. Cover tightly and cook until the shellfish opens. Remove from heat and transfer to earthenware casserole. Sprinkle with chopped cilantrillo or parsley. Serve the Mariscada over white rice.

Grilled Shellfish with Romesco Sauce (Mariscada A La Plancha Con Salsa Romescu)
Servings 6

2 big lobsters, cleaned, and sliced
1 lb small squids or small octopus, cleaned olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 lbs large uncooked prawns
coarse salt
18 clams or cockles, cleaned
18 large mussels, cleaned
finely chopped parsley or cilantrillo

to garnish SALSA ROMESCU (Catalan Sauce):
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1-2 long fresh red chilli peppers, seeded
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons dry white wine
2-1/2 oz whole blanched almonds, toasted
1 canned pimiento or 1 roasted red pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the squid bodies and tentacles or the octopus in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of the oil and the garlic. Mix well and allow to stand for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the seafood with salt.

FOR THE SALSA ROMESCU: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for a few more seconds. Add the tomatoes, chilli peppers to taste, water and wine. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Process the almonds in a food processor until ground. Add the pimiento and tomato mixture and puree. Gradually pour in the remaining olive oil and vinegar, season to taste and process until the mixture has the consistency of a thick sauce. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.

Heat a barbecue hotplate or large heavy frying pan and brush with oil. Add all the seafood and cook quickly, turning and constantly basting with olive oil. Remove the squid and prawns and lobster to a large heated platter after about 3-4 minutes-the prawns and lobster should be cooked until just pink. When the clams or cockles have opened remove them to the platter, discarding any that remain shut. Sprinkle the seafood with parsley and serve immediately with romesco sauce.