Bobby Flay's Throwdown! (28 page)

The critical acclaim that Phil has received helped to put the once-sleepy town and the waters of Moss Landing, full of halibut, striped bass, sardines, and calamari, on the map.

Phil’s famous cioppino, his top-selling dish, is based on the delicious seafood soup that his grandmother Nina made. It contains seven different types of seafood, including crab, calamari, scallops, snapper, cod, and prawns, which he cooks with a pinch of saffron and a splash of sweet wine. His sauce contains sautéed onions and garlic, fresh herbs, and tomatoes. His secret for balanced flavors is to cut the acidity of the tomatoes by sneaking in a little brown sugar and cinnamon.

I have a lot of experience with cioppino and have served versions of the dish at both Bar Americain and Mesa Grill. My seafood of choice usually includes sea bass, shrimp, clams, and oysters, but varies according to what is freshest on any given day. I bathe the seafood in a garlicky tomato broth. And I also have a secret ingredient that puts this stew over the top: anchovies. I don’t add them to the broth; instead, I blend them with butter to spread on grilled sourdough bread.

Now, I knew that Phil wouldn’t want an Irish boy beating him, but we headed toward Monterey anyway. Would Phil stay as happy as a clam when faced with my Throwdown challenge? After a glass or two of wine, of course he was! The audience loved both of our cioppinos, and it was beginning to look as though it could go either way as the judges made their way in to critique our choice of seafood, broth, and authenticity.

They found Phil’s to be a classic Monterey cioppino. Packed with seafood, it was fit for a king. They loved his broth, too, but would have liked a touch more heat. Ours was praised for its perfumed broth and savory anchovy-buttered bread. We may have had the winning broth, but Phil garnered the top prize for authenticity and seafood. I loved what Phil made and know we made a valiant effort. Maybe we could have used a little more tomato in our broth. Hey, Phil, you ready for a rematch?

SERVES 4 TO 6

1.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the fish stock, drained tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

2.
While the broth is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in large sauté pan over high heat. Season the bass on both sides with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

3.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the same pan. Season the shrimp and sauté until light golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Remove to the plate with the bass.

4.
Add the clams and mussels to the thickened broth and cook until they open (discarding any that do not), about 3 minutes. Add the bass and shrimp, and cook just to heat through, about 1 minute. Stir in the parsley and tarragon, and season with the honey, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf.

5.
To serve, place a crouton in each of 4 to 6 bowls, ladle some of the cioppino on top, and top with the remaining croutons. Garnish with parsley leaves, if desired.

1.
Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat, or preheat your broiler.

2.
Combine the butter and anchovies in a food processor, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and scrape into a bowl.

3.
Brush one side of the bread with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill, oil side down (or broil, oil side up), until light golden brown. Turn over and continue grilling until light golden brown on both sides.

4.
Remove the bread to a platter, and spread some of the butter mixture on the seasoned side. Cut each slice in half crosswise, to make 16 croutons.

SERVES 4 TO 6

1.
Combine the olive oil, butter, and garlic in a wide, deep pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, 2 minutes. Add the clams and wine, cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and steam until the clams start to open, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels, cover, and steam until the mussels just start to open, about 2 minutes. (Discard any clams or mussels that do not open.)

2.
Stir in the Cioppino Sauce, Worcestershire, and saffron, and bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then gently stir in the squid, fish, and scallops, and simmer until they are all just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Gently stir in the crabmeat during the last minute or so of cooking time.

1.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, parsley, and basil, and cook for 1 minute; do not brown.

2.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, 3½ cups water, the clam base (if using), brown sugar, celery salt, Worcestershire, and cinnamon. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 1¼ hours. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

NOTE

Serve over pasta, if desired.

Demo version limitation

Names: Sandy Pollock and Crystal Cook
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Website:
www.casserolequeens.com
Phone: (512) 905-6967