Roasted Seafood Stew

Directions

The day before serving::

1. Heat oven to 325 degree F. Line jelly-roll pan with wax paper. Toss tomatoes in bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Arrange tomatoes, cut sides down, in prepared pan. Place garlic in center of 6-inch sheet of foil; drizzle top with 1 tablespoon of the oil and wrap tightly. Bake tomatoes and garlic about 1 hour or until very soft and most of the tomato juices are evaporated. Cool.

2. Separate garlic cloves, pressing each gently to remove pulp. Place in small bowl and stir until smooth. Peel and coarsely chop tomatoes. Cover tomatoes and garlic separately and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks; cover and cook until softened, 10 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Transfer to bowl.

4. Bring wine, water, and clam juice to boil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, and thyme; simmer 5 minutes. Carefully add lobsters; cover and steam over medium heat 15 minutes. Remove lobsters from pot and place on cutting board; cool. Remove meat, tomalley (liver) and coral (roe), if any, from shells; chop meat coarsely. Cover and refrigerate. Return shells to Dutch oven. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes.

5. Strain liquid from shells through fine sieve into bowl, pressing shells to extract juices. Discard shells. Add broth to leeks in bowl. Cover juice mixture. Refrigerate up to 24 hours.

To serve::

6. Heat oven to 475 degree F. Transfer leek mixture to large saucepot. Stir in tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of the garlic puree. Heat over medium heat until hot, 10 to 12 minutes. Cover and keep warm.

7. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in roasting pan over high heat. Add monkfish, stirring to coat with hot oil. Immediately transfer to oven and roast 4 minutes or until fish begins to turn opaque, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir in scallops. Roast 4 to 6 minutes more or until scallops are opaque, stirring after 2 minutes. Add shrimp and lobster meat, then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and additional freshly ground pepper; stir. Roast until shrimp turns opague, 2 to 3 minutes more.

8. With slotted spoon, transfer fish to tomato-leek mixture; keep warm. Add brandy to juices in roasting pan; cook over high heat until juices are reduced by half, 5 minutes. Stir into fish with basil and parsley. Transfer to serving tureen. Makes 8 to 10 servings.