Seafood Stew with Sausage, Tomatoes, Herbs and Wine

Ingredients

• 8 ounces chorizo sausage, removed from casings and chopped
• 4 ounces smoked bacon, diced
• 1 1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
• 2 tablespoons garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
• Pinch cayenne
• 2 cups chopped, seeded tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup fish stock or clam juice
• 1 1/2 pounds cockles, well rinsed under cold running water
• 1/2 pound bay scallops
• 1 pound squid, cleaned, bodies cut into 1/4-inch rings
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup mixed chopped herbs, including parsley, cilantro, oregano
• Roasted Potatoes, recipe follows

Directions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage and bacon until beginning to brown and the fat is rendered, about 4 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Add the onions to the pan and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, Essence and cayenne, and saute for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and red wine and cook until slightly reduced.

Add the fish stock and bring to a boil. Add the sausage, and bacon back to the pan, stir well and return to a simmer. Add the cockles, scallops, and squid, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until the clams open, about 4 minutes. Finish with the extra-virgin olive oil and herbs.

Remove from the heat and serve over Roasted Potatoes.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Roasted Potatoes:

• 1 1/2 pounds (about 3) baking potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, olive oil, salt and thyme. Spread onto a baking sheet in 1 layer. Roast until golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes, shaking the pan every 1 15 minutes or so.