2021 Tour de France - Stage 15: Céret to Andorra la Vella
Today’s stage starts just off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and ends in the country of Andorra, in their nation’s capital. As you can tell, just looking at the dish, the influence of Spain is not far off from this meal. In fact, the borders to Spain are just a few miles to the south of the beginning and the end of today’s stage. This is a lovely stew in a wine-tomato base of tender squid. The rice, however, is no slouch in this dish, either.
Rouille de Seiche
Onion, diced fine
1 lb. squid mantle, sliced into rings
3 cloves garlic, minced
~8 oz tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 cup dry white wine
Pinch of cayenne
1/2 tsp saffron threads
2-3 sprigs of thyme
3 fresh bay leaves
Parsley, handful, minced
Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat, coating the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Sauté the onion, with a pinch of salt, until soft. Add in the squid pieces, and sauté briefly. Add in all of the remaining ingredients, except for the parsley. Stir to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, until the squid is tender.
Meanwhile prepare the rice and aioli. Recipe continues after the aioli recipe.
Thyme-scented Rice adapted from Notes from a Young Black Chef: a Memoir, Kwame Onwuachi
2 tbsp butter
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 ⅔ cup seafood stock
Sprig of thyme
Melt the butter in a saucepan, over medium-high heat, then stir in the rice to coat with the butter and lightly toast the grains, about a minute.
Add in the stock, sprig of thyme and a heavy pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, covered, or until you’re ready to serve the meal.
Aioli
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
1 tsp lemon juice
Cayenne pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Combine the garlic, mustard, egg yolk, lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne and salt and pepper, in the bowl of a mini-prep. Blend for about 20 seconds to blend, then, with the motor running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream. Continue to blend until emulsified and thickened. Reserve and finish the dish.
Once the squid is tender, add a few tablespoons of the aioli to the sauce and stir until fully incorporated. Taste the sauce and add more aioli, if desired. Remove the bay leaves and sprigs of thyme from the sauce. Then, remove the sprig of thyme from the rice and fluff with a fork.
To plate, spoon some rice onto a plate and top with the cooked squid and sauce. Sprinkle some parsley on top of each plate.
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Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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