Pan Roasted Seafood with Smoky Paprika and Roasted Garlic

Pan Roasted Seafood with Smoky Paprika and Roasted Garlic

from Everything Tastes Better with Garlic by Sara Perry

Ingredients:

3 Large heads roasted garlic (2 1/2 to 3 oz. each raw - see note at bottom of recipe)
2 Tbls. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
12 to 14 Fingerling potatoes (8 oz. total), parboiled for 5 minutes and cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 Large, fresh sea scallops
Coarse sale, preferably kosher, and freshly ground pepper
1/4 Small fennel bulb, cored and sliced
Pinch of dried pepper flakes
6 Frsh mussels, scrubbed, with beards removed
4 Jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 Fresh clams, scrubbed
1/4 Tsp. plus a pinch of smoked paprika
1/4 Cup white wine
1 Tbls. chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grilled crusty rustic bread

On cold winter evenings when all you want to do is sit cuddled up with a rich, easy-to-fix meal, this is the one to choose. Chock-full of fresh seafood, its heady broth is energized by smoky paprika that begs for a spoon or a chunk of bread to get every last drop. Golden cloves of mellow, roasted garlic stud the dish and add a creamy richness. There's no need for butter or whipping cream to sabotage this recipe's healthful appeal. Created by Oregon chef (and dedicated runner) Eric Laslow, this is a marathon meal of great tastes and good flavors.

When the roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft cloves out of their skins and set aside. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the potatoes and scallops with salt and pepper and distribute in the pan in a single layer. Add the fennel, red pepper flakes, and roasted garlic cloves and sautè until the scallops brown slightly on one side, about 2 minutes.

Add the mussels, shrimp, and clams. Season with the paprika. Bake in the lower third of the oven until the mussels and clams open, 15 to 20 minutes. Check after 10 minutes and continue to roast until they are done. If any of the shellfish remain closed, discard them. Return the skillet to the stovetop, stir in the white wine and parsley, and simmer for 1 minute. Ladle into warm, shallow bowls. Drizzle with olive oil, and serve with grilled, crusty bread.

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer, 2 as an entrèe

ROASTING WHOLE GARLIC - produces cloves that are creamy and have a nutty, caramel-like sweetness that is irresistible.

To roast a head of garlic, preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice off the top of the head to expose the tips of the cloves. Place the head, root side down, in a small ovenproof dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the exposed tips. (If desired, a teaspoon of water can also be added, and so can a sprinkling of salt.) Cover tightly with foil. Bake until tender and golden, about 1 hour. (At 325°F, bake it for about 1 1/4 hours.) Individual cloves can be roasted in the same manner but will take less time.

(Okay, so you're in a hurry, and you want your roasted garlic fast To roast garlic in the microwave, place the prepared bulb on a paper towel. Microwave on high for 1 minute; turn the bulb upside down, and microwave for 1 more minute. You won't get the caramelly cloves or the wonderful aroma wafting through your house, but that's the price of being speedy.)

In Mexican cuisine, unpeeled garlic is roasted in an ungreased cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. The cloves are stirred occasionally until blackened in spots and soft, about 15 minutes. Peeled and minced, they have a toasty flavor.

This and many other wonderful recipes may be found in
Sara Perry's Everything Tastes Better with Garlic from Chronicle Books