Brodetto from Alba Restaurant in Boulder

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

One of our favorite restaurants here in Boulder is Alba. Owned by Rick Stein. 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.

Earlier this fall when I started thinking about posting recipes on fish stews, I had dinner at Alba and fell in love with their Brodetto.  Their anchovies wrapped in sage and quickly fried are unbelievably delectable.

Brodetto Recipe from Alba Restaurant, Boulder, CO

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.