By David Tanis
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(389)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Romesco, the delicious rust-colored sauce from the Catalan region of Spain, is justly popular, served alongside grilled fish or as dip for vegetables. It is typically made with fresh and dried red peppers, roasted almonds and hazelnuts, a fair amount of garlic, and day-old bread fried in olive oil. Sometimes, however, instead of being used as a sauce, it is added to a fish stew. Known as romesco de peix or simply romescada, it may contain several kinds of fish and shellfish. In this version, which features lobster and clams, rather than stirring in the romesco at the end, the ingredients are added in stages from the beginning, for depth of flavor.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 2lobsters, about 1½ pounds each
- ¼cup whole almonds
- ¼cup hazelnuts
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2slices day-old bread from a large French or Italian loaf, crusts removed
- 1medium onion, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 2dried ñora chiles or 1 dried ancho chile, stems and seeds removed
- 1fresh red Fresno chile, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 3canned piquillo peppers, chopped (optional)
- 1teaspoon pimentón dulce (sweet Spanish paprika)
- 4garlic cloves, minced
- 1cup fresh or canned tomato purée
- ½cup dry white wine
- 12littleneck clams or 24 manila clams, rinsed
- 3tablespoons chopped parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
424 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 47 grams protein; 1214 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Boil or steam lobsters for 10 minutes, then rinse with cool water. Crack shells, remove meat and cut into large chunks. Put shells in a large pot, cover with 10 cups water and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain, reserve broth and discard shells.
Step
2
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place almonds and hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast until fairly dark, about 12 to 15 minutes. Rub skins from hazelnuts; discard skins.
Step
3
Place a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add olive oil to depth of ¼ inch. When oil is hot, fry bread slices slowly on both sides until crisp and golden, 5 to 6 minutes, adjusting heat if bread is browning too quickly. Remove bread, drain on paper towel and cut into rough ½-inch cubes; set aside. Pour off all but about 4 tablespoons oil (Save excess oil for another purpose.) Add onion to pot, season with salt and pepper and cook until onion is softened and lightly colored, about 10 minutes.
Step
4
Meanwhile, put dried ñora or ancho chiles in a small pot of water and simmer for about 15 minutes, until softened, then drain, discarding water.
Step
5
Put almonds, hazelnuts, fried bread, garlic, dried chiles, Fresno chiles, piquillo peppers and pimentón in a large mortar and pound to a rough paste. (You may use a food processor instead.)
Step
6
Add chile mixture to softened onions and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato purée and wine and simmer until mixture has dried out a bit. Add 8 cups lobster broth and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning. If too thick, add a little more broth. (May be prepared up to this point several hours ahead.)
Step
7
To serve, bring to a brisk simmer and add clams. When clams begin to open, add lobster meat and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in parsley and ladle the stew into 4 to 6 large soup bowls.
Ratings
4
out of 5
389
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Cooking Notes
M Mimura
First time, we made it with lobster - fabulous. Second time we substituted monkfish for the lobster (and shrimp broth from leftover shells) and it was still delicious.
Frank
use
monkfish
sea bass
shrimp
squid
in place of or in addition to lobster
Maggie
One of my all-time favorites. The nuts and bread literally transform an otherwise ordinary shellfish stew. Lobsters are quite pricey and hard to come by here on Hawaii, so I substituted some firm local fish (pan sauteed separately at the last minute) and fish stock the second time I made this. The base is sufficiently complex to really work with any protein even tofu. There is, however, no substitute for the clams.
Leslie Talmadge
This dish delicious, well worth the time and effort required to prepare.
PB
Amazing dish and by far the most flavorful and subtly complex dishes I've made. I substituted dried chipotle (not available immediately) for the ancho chile and didn't skip a beat. Also used more "lobster broth" than recommended and just let the liquid evaporate and concentrate the lobster essence. Best of all...the wife, who hates, hates, hates broth?...asked for more "sauce"!!
Natalia Elies
As a catalan, I'm well impressed with this recipe. There is not much to add, except that I really hope you enjoy this dish.
For the lobster broth, add some fish bones and heads (you can ask your fishmonger for them) it will give the fish stock more flavour, apart from that...it's a winner.
Anne C.
I am intrigued : the nutritional info says this is over 900 calories, and I only see the use of olive oil (used for frying the bread then only 4 tbsp is kept) to account for so many calories. The clam chowder by Mark Sifton, part of this series, was given around 400/500 calories and the recipe includes 2 cups of cream....
Substitute for bread?
Any other texture/thickening options instead of bread?
Ann B
Use this for a fish stew using fish, claims, mussels, shrimp and/or scallops.
Loriltx
Then you really end up with a cioppino.
Dave
Fun to make
Lydia
Any suggestions for hazelnut substitute? I have a mean allergy to them :(
Alison
Use more almonds (if you can have those). A typical romesco is made from almonds without the hazelnuts.
Melissa
This was outstanding. I used 1lb monkfish cut into chunks, 2lbs clams, and 1/2lb whole blue shrimp, and also added a small amount of thinly sliced chorizo at the romesco stage. Really, really good.
Stephen
After I boiled the lobster I retained 10 cups of the water. I used it for the second part of the Step #1 and simmered the lobster shells for 30 min.
Mary in western NC
Looking to make a fish stew today and just happened to have my homemade Romesco sauce in the freezer. What a wonderful find this recipe was! I used monkfish and shrimp, and was delighted.
Allen
5 STARS! Loved the flavors! And my guests were super impressed. Added some chorizo, I could also see adding more spice. Some pepper flakes with the tomato sauce and/or more Fresno Chilies would be a great start. Taking a little extra time to darken the color of the paste when it is added to the onions added some great flavor. If I was to do it again. I would sauté the claims and lobster separately and combine everything for service. So nothing gets over cooked. My clams got a little over done.
ethan
Instead of lobster we used seafood stock and added shrimp to the simmering broth immediately before serving. Outstanding.
Natalia Elies
As a catalan, I'm well impressed with this recipe. There is not much to add, except that I really hope you enjoy this dish.
For the lobster broth, add some fish bones and heads (you can ask your fishmonger for them) it will give the fish stock more flavour, apart from that...it's a winner.
Makali
The base for the broth is spectacular. Will use as a pasta sauce. Would also use shrimp or firm white fish in the broth next time instead of lobster. Love lobster but didn't add as much as I'd hoped.
Reg
This was great ----- and even better the next day. I had made homemade French bread and I dropped little pieces of it into the soup the next day. Divine. I will make with shrimp and maybe sea bass he next time. Such a good flavor; and very healthy !
John
Using shrimp, I suggest you slice hot sausage and spanish rice and make it like a paella. Makes it definitely like a stew. I can also think of an American version with beef and carrots.
Ann B
Use this for a fish stew using fish, claims, mussels, shrimp and/or scallops.
Substitute for bread?
Any other texture/thickening options instead of bread?
Chris M
I substituted shrimp for lobster and the results were delicious!
Sula Baye
Sounds good but I'd add a wonderful homemade fish stock with spices such as cardamom, allspice, juniper berries, anise, and, of course onion, garlic and parsley, maybe cilantro as well. I'd use salmon heads, grouper where available, and branzino heads in the stock. Other fishes are good also. I'll try it soon.
Loriltx
Then you really end up with a cioppino.
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