Recipe(tried): Portuguese Dry Shellfish Soup

PORTUGUESE DRY SHELLFISH SOUP
(Acorda de Mariscos)

This spectacular dish is served in nearly every Portuguese restaurant. The bread used for thickening the ACORDA must be a rough country variety or French or Italian bread. An earthenware or flameproof baking dish must be used, because the ACORDA uses both methods of cooking. The best wine to accompany this dish must be a very dry white wine as for example, a French Pouilly Fuss , a Chablis, or my favorite Albari o from Spain, the LAGAR DE CERVERA. Here is the recipe. Buen Provecho!

DRY SHELLFISH SOUP (ACORDA DE MARISCOS)
Serves 6
Source: The Food of Portugal by Jean Anderson, 1986.

2 1/2 lbs raw medium shrimp in the shell
4 quarts fish stock
2 bay leaves (do not crumble)
3 sprigs fresh coriander
3 sprigs parsley
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 onions peeled & chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp crushed dried red chili peppers
1/2 lb day old Portuguese, Italian or French bread, broken into 1 inch cubes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
6 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Shell & devein the shrimp; cover & refrigerate. Pile the shrimp shells in large heavy kettle, add fish stock, bay leaves, coriander & parsley sprigs & simmer at moderate heat (for 1 hour). Strain the stock in the kettle, add the wine & simmer for 1 more hour until reduced to 5 cups. Stir fry the onions, 3 cloves of garlic in 1/4 cup of the olive oil until limp & golden. Add the chili peppers & stir fry. Set off the heat & allow flavors to mellow while the stock reduces. Place bread chunks in mixing bowl, scatter the garlic on top & drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Toss well. After the stock had reduced, set a 4 quart flameproof casserole in the oven & turn the heat to 450F; leave the casserole in the oven until ready to assemble the ACORDA. Season the stock (After reduced) with salt & pepper, bring to a boil, drop in the shrimp & cook 3 minutes, until pink. With a slotted spoon, lift the shrimp to heated plate & keep hot. Dump the reserved onion mixture into the pot & stir well. Bring the casserole from the oven & arrange the marinated bread chunks evenly on the bottom. Pour the hot shrimp mixture on top, break in the eggs, spacing them as evenly and artfully as possible. Scatter the chopped coriander over all & garnish with the reserved shrimp. Rush the ACORDA to the table. To serve, stir the eggs, shrimp & coriander down into the mixture and ladle into heated soup plates.