Arroz Caldoso ( Seafood and Rice Soup)

Wine Pairing: Chardonnay from Miguel Torres Winery This leading Spanish wine family has been in operation in Chile since 1979 and produces superb award- winning wines. I was joined by Miguel Torres Jr. one night for dinner at his family’s stunning Miguel Torres Restaurant in Santiago, and he recommended this hearty seafood soup. Somewhat like a jambalaya, it’s an interesting dish as it has a “pesto” added at the end to give the dish depth and flavour. 12 cups ( 3 litres) cold water 1 tablespoon ( 15 ml) salt 1 pound ( 454 g) calamari tubes, cleaned and cut into 1- inch ( 2- cm) rings 3 tablespoons ( 45 ml) olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 red pepper, finely chopped, into ¼ - inch cube ¼ cup ( 60 ml) tomato paste ¾ cup ( 180 ml) white rice 1 large or 2 small Dungeness crabs, cleaned and segmented 3 tablespoons ( 45 ml) finely chopped flat leaf parsley 3 tablespoons ( 45 ml) toasted slivered almonds 3 tablespoons ( 45 ml) toasted hazelnuts 1 teaspoon ( 5 ml) salt ½ teaspoon ( 3ml) black pepper In a saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the calamari rings and blanch for a minute, then drain, reserving blanching water. Set aside calamari and water. Heat one tablespoon ( 15 ml) of the olive oil in a large casserole or Dutch oven over medium high heat and sauté onion, garlic and red pepper until they just start to soften. Add the tomato paste and sauté until it starts to darken a bit. Add the calamari and sauté for one minute then add rice and sauté for another minute. Add the reserved blanching water and bring to a boil. Add chopped crab pieces, and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat. Using a mortar and pestle or small food processor, add the parsley, almonds, hazelnuts, salt, pepper and remaining olive oil and process until smooth. Stir pesto mixture into the soup and cook for another five minutes. Season and serve.

Makes 4 servings