2023 Vuelta España - Stage 2: Mataró to Barcelona.
Day two of the Vuelta and I am bringing to you a special seaside delicacy of seafood cooked in a luscious saffron-infused béchamel. What is béchamel? It is one of the “mother sauces” and is simple, but very delicious. All you need is some flour and liquid, really. But, if you add a few savory items, like butter and onion, along with something spiced, like saffron, it will turn this mother sauce into a grandmother sauce!
Seafood in Saffron Bechamel
⅔ stick of butter whole + 2 tbsp butter, melted
Onion, diced
2.5 cups whole milk
¼ cup flour
Zest of 1 lemon
Heavy pinch of saffron
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
4 large scallops
¼ lb shrimp, peeled
1 filet of lean white fish, like snapper or haddock
Slice of white bread, blended into fine crumbs
In a medium pan, melt the butter and sauté the onion with a pinch of salt, over medium heat.
Meanwhile, warm the milk in a separate pot.
Once the onions have softened, sprinkle on the flour and mix it in with a wooden spoon and cook until toasted, about a minute. Then, add ⅓ of the warmed milk and stir in, until fully incorporated, followed by another third, and the final third, stirring in each time.
Add the lemon zest and saffron and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, adjusting the seasoning at the end of the simmer. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Meanwhile, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet set over medium-high heat.
Season all of the fish with salt and pepper. Once the oil begins to ripple, add the scallops and shrimp to the pan, cooking for 2 minutes on each side.
Once the shellfish has been cooked, transfer it to a small casserole dish. Repeat with the white fish, and transfer it to the same dish, slicing it in half beforehand.
Once the béchamel has cooked for 10 minutes, pour the sauce over the fish in the casserole, evening it out. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top with a little salt and pepper, followed by drizzling the melted butter on top of the breadcrumbs.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn on the broiler and continue to cook another few minutes until the top is browned.
Let the casserole rest for a few minutes prior to serving.
______________________________ Copyright 2023, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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