Seafood Stew With Saffron and Rouille

• 1 red pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and any green part removed
• Approximately 1 cup olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 pound white potatoes
• 3 leeks, sliced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup canned Italian tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 2 pound bag mussels
• 1/4 pound medium shrimp, unpeeled
• 1/2 pound bay scallops, or sea scallops halved

1. Make the rouille.
2. Preheat broiler.
3. Cut the pepper into thick strips and place them face down on foil paper on a broiling rack.
4. Broil until the skins are charred.
5. Place in a closed paper bag for a few minutes, then peel off the skin.
6. Put the pepper strips in the jar of a blender with bread crumbs, egg yolks and the garlic.
7. Puree.
8. Very gradually, little by little, add the olive oil until you have a thick, mayonaise-like sauce.
9. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Place in a bowl and set aside.
11. Meanwhile, put the potatoes on to boil.
12. Rinse the leeks, slice them and rinse the slices carefully to remove any traces of grit.
13. Bring the wine to boil, add the saffron and set aside.
14. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy casserole and soften the leeks with the garlic.
15. When soft, add the tomatoes, thyme and the saffron-white wine mixture.
16. Cover and allow to simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, adding a little water or wine if it gets dry.
17. Meanwhile, debeard the mussels and wash them thoroughly, discarding any that are open and refuse to close when tapped, or that are broken.
18. Place the shrimp in a small bowl of cold water and add salt.
19. Rinse the shrimp.
20. Add the mussels, shrimp and scallops to the casserole.
21. Cook until the mussels have opened (three to four minutes).
22. Serve the stew in soup bowls, ladling on the sauce.
23. Serve the potatoes and the rouille separately.

red pepper, bread crumbs, egg yolks, garlic, olive oil, salt, white potatoes, leeks, white wine, saffron threads, butter, olive oil, clove garlic, italian tomatoes, thyme, mussels, shrimp, bay scallops

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/2334 (may not work)