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Chef Alex from Alba Restaurant in Boulder

March 3rd, 2010

As I write this I realize that many of our followers are not here in Colorado. But consider this post and chef Alex’s recipe as an invitation to travel without going anywhere.

One of our favorite restaurants here in Boulder is Alba. Owned by Rick Stein with executive chef Alex Feldman , Alba is one of Boulder’s best. We love their regional wine dinners, featured on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, they are the epitome of traveling vicariously.

In January, he featured the food and wine from the Campania region. One of the more unique items on the menu was an sweet eggplant budino, an Italian pudding. In March, we will experience food and wine from the Veneto.

Some highlights of Alex’s career: He started with his mentor, Chris Schlesinger at the East Coast Grill then he moved to his first Italian inspired restaurant in Waltham, MA the Tuscan Grill .  He did a short stint as the Culinary Institute of America (C.I.A.) but found that what he really needed to do was move to Italy and work there. He landed a job at Il Cibreo in Florence and then at Al Cambio in Bologna.

Back in the states he worked at Babbo with Mario Battali then eventually  he moved to Vail and worked at Sweet Basil.  Rick offered him the job here in Boulder at Alba just over a year ago.

Earlier this fall when I started thinking about posting recipes on fish stews, I had dinner at Alba and fell in love with Alex’s Brodetto.  His anchovies wrapped in sage and quickly fried are unbelievably delectable. I implored him to share the recipe with Flavorista

 Wish granted!

Brodetto Recipe from Alba

Note: you can adjust the variety of seafood for whatever is freshest at your fish
market.

Serves 2

4 large “dry” scallops
6 tiger shrimp
4 oz calamari rings and tentacles
1/2 lb. mussels, scrubbed
1 large clove garlic, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3 sprigs marjoram
pepperoncino, chopped to taste
16 canned peeled cherry tomatoes and a little juice or 1 can diced tomatoes
( Alex uses the canned tomatoes from Academia Barilla)
3 oz. dry white wine
1 cup fish stock (frozen or use clam juice)
zest of 1/2 lemon (use a microplane)
Good EVOO
Cooking oil
Salt and pepper

Heat a shallow 12" sauce pan with enough cooking oil to coat the bottom, until the
first tendrils of smoke arise.

Season the seafood with salt and pepper, and spread out into the pan.

After 30 seconds, sprinkle the garlic, herbs, and pepperoncino in the pan.
Continue cooking over medium high heat for another minute, stirring constantly.

Deglaze with 3 oz white wine, reduce until mostly evaporated, add 1 c fish stock.

Cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until the mussels have opened

Remove from heat. Mix in the zest and 2 Tbsp. EVOO, Taste, season, and serve.

Entry Filed under: Restaurants,Savory Recipes,Uncategorized