ROUSES.COM
21
Seafood Brodetto
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
8
large (U12) Louisiana shrimp, peeled and deveined with
the tails left on
10 ounces any Louisiana Gulf fish, preferably Gulf Drum,
Mahi Mahi or Amberjack
1
pound mussels
½
fennel bulb, diced medium
4
stalks of celery, diced medium
Olive oil
¼
cup of Herbsaint or Pernod
Juice of ½ of an orange + 1 teaspoon zest
1
teaspoon garlic, fine diced
Pinch of chili flake
10 ounces fennel stock (see below)
2
whole Italian peeled tomatoes, canned
Handful of fresh herbs, basil, oregano and parsley
2 large chunks of good crusty bread
Fennel Stock
2
celery stalks, chopped
1
fennel bulb, stems and greenery included, chopped
1
yellow onion, peeled and chopped
¼
cup of fennel seeds, whole
1
quart of water
HOW TO PREP
In a smoking hot pan, with olive oil, sear shrimp and fish until
one side has color. Remove the shrimp and fish and set aside.
In the same pan saute garlic, fennel and celery until soft. Add
orange juice and Herbsaint and let reduce until all the liquid is
gone. Into the vegetable mixture, add the fennel stock and to-
mato (break up the tomato with spoon). Bring to a simmer. Add
the mussels to the simmering broth. Add salt and pepper to taste
at this time. When the mussels begin to open, return the shrimp
and fish to the broth to finish cooking. Simmer for two minutes,
add the herbs, orange zest and remove from heat. Grill or toast a
chunk of crusty bread and pour the seafood and broth over it. Fin-
ish by drizzling a good extra virgin olive oil over the whole thing.
Fennel Stock
Add all ingredients together in a pot and bring to a boil, reduce to
a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid through a
fine mesh sieve. Chill. Lasts for 1 week in the refrigerator. (Serves 2)
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
3
cups cooked white beans
3
whole lemon-braised
artichok hearts with the stems,
sub: (1 cup prepared artichoke
hearts)
¼
cup artichoke braising liquid,
(water or juice from can)
1½ tablespoon toasted garlic*
1 teaspoon thyme*, coarse chop
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black
pepper
⅓
cup fresh lemon juice
2
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sometimes we switch it up, but when we
go into autopilot, those are usually the roles
that we revert to.
Q:
Do you each have a favorite menu items
that you like to make?
David:
Torre gets inspired with new
seasonal ingredients and through doing daily
specials with those ingredients. David draws
inspiration from insuring that the quality
and consistency is always there on the menu
items that don’t change as often. As a team
we are able to accomplish a consistent solid
menu along with constant changing seasonal
items to keep it fresh and exiting.
Q:
My husband and I met at Rouses, but
we were in different departments. You two
are together all day. Is it hard separate work
and family when you spend so much time
together, or does being married make it
easier to work together?
David:
Well work is family and family is
work. It does all get jumbled together. We
are married and we have our own families
outside of the restaurant, but our staff is
also our extended family. We struggle daily
to try to keep some home life separate
from our work, especially with a two year
old, but somehow the two lives continue to
intertwine. It is the nature of this business.
I think being married makes it easier to
work together. We make up for each other’s
strengths and weaknesses, essentially
making us one super human - ha ha.
Q:
Your restaurant is very romantic. I
would imagine you get a lot of first date,
anniversary and, of course, Valentine’s Day
reservations.
Torre:
We get a good mix of diners seeking
that romantic environment along with
diners looking for a place to get together
and celebrate. Our aim is to cater to all
types of clientele and give each diner a
unique experience.
RECIPE,
try me!
White Bean & Artichoke Puree
HOW TO PREP
Process all ingredients together in a food processor.
Run the processor until the mixture is very smooth.
Check the seasoning. It may need a touch more of
salt and pepper and it is easier to mix while still in
the processor. Serve in a shallow bowl and garnish
with a great extra virgin olive oil, caper berries,
mixed olives, fresh parsley and grilled or toasted
bread.
*To toast garlic, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in
a sauté pan to almost smoking. Add garlic to pan.
When garlic begins to brown on the edges add the
thyme. Remove from heat. This is the secret of the
white bean and artichoke puree. (Serves 5-7)
RECIPE,
try me!
What makes Del Porto even more special is that the
chefs love food as much as they love each other.
