Enjoying Sherry Wine Pairings and Recipes Manzanilla

Iberian Seafood Stew

Pair with Manzanilla

The almond and olive notes pair perfectly with the delicate flavors in the chowder– the onion, cockles, and celery. And the acidity helps cut through the creaminess of the chowder.

Ingredients

½ pound

Iberian salt pork

2 tablespoons

butter

2 tablespoons

flour

onion

¾ cup

water or clam juice

¼ cup

amontillado sherry

1 pound

mussels

1.5 pounds

cockles or small clams

prawns (shrimp)

1 quart

whole milk

1½ pounds

potatoes peeled

bay leaves

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Scrub your mussels and remove the beards. Soak your clams/cockles in cold water to make sure all sand is out.
Steam your mussels in a large pot in a centimeter of water. Remove them as soon as they open to a large bowl. Discard any that don't open. Strain the mussel broth from the pot and the bowl and taste to make sure it has good flavor (it might be very salty-- that is okay). Reserve.
Remove the mussels from their shells, discard the shells and chop each mussel in half. Reserve.
Boil the diced potatoes in a large pot of salted water. When tender, strain and reserve.
Slowly cook the salt pork over medium heat, adding a bit of water if necessary. Once browned (about 8 minutes) add the butter, onion and celery and sauté about six minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the flour and cook for about two minutes stirring constantly (do not allow flour to brown).
Add the sherry to deglaze the pan, and then add the clam/mussel juice and water. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Add in the clams/cockles (which are still uncooked) and cover the pot for a couple of minutes until they open. Remove each one that has opened to a large bowl, and discard any that don't open.
Take out the clam meat and discard the shells. Don't chop the cockles (they're small enough) but do chop if using larger clams. Mix with the mussels.
Add the potatoes, milk and bay leafs to the pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the prawns and cook until just done, about 3 minutes. Remove them and shell them and chop the meat and add to the mussels and clams.
Add the potatoes back to the pot and simmer for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
At the last minute, add back the clams, mussels and prawns. Heat through and serve immediately.