French🐟 Seafood

Seafood à l'Armoricaine (Brittany-Style Seafood)

Name: Seafood à l'Armoricaine (Brittany-Style Seafood)
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 Blue swimmer crabs or small crabs; ~400 g White fish fillets; ~500 g Mussels; 2 tbsp Olive oil; ~3 tbsp Shallots; ~1 medium Carrots; ~1 cup Dry white wine; ~2 tbsp Tomato paste; ~4 medium Fresh tomatoes; ~1 tsp Thyme; 1 Bay leaf; ~4 cloves Garlic; 500 ml Prawn or crayfish bisque; ~1 cup Water; 2 tbsp Cream; ~¼ tsp Espelette pepper; ~1 tbsp Noilly Prat vermouth; ~1 tsp Salt; ~½ tsp Black pepper; ~2 tbsp Parsley

⏱ 35 min

A classic Brittany specialty, this fast-track version of seafood à l'armoricaine uses a prawn or crayfish bisque as its flavor base, combined with fresh seafood and white fish, cream, and a touch of Espelette pepper for heat—delivering authentic Breton coastal flavors in a fraction of the time of the traditional American sauce version.

Adapted from a video by French Cooking Academy

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Ingredients

Blue swimmer crabs or small crabscan substitute small shrimp or crayfish2
White fish filletssuch as cod or similar mild white fish~400 gest.
Musselsfresh mussels~500 gest.
Olive oil2 tbsp
Shallots~3 tbspest.
Carrots~1 mediumest.
Dry white wine~1 cupest.

Steps

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1
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and sear the crabs in batches until they turn red, developing deep flavor.
2
Carefully flambé the crabs with a flame for added flavor (optional but recommended). Transfer cooked crabs to a bowl.
3
In the same pan, add shallots and carrots, cooking over high heat for about 2 minutes to incorporate crab flavors.
4
Deglaze the pan with dry white wine and reduce it almost completely to remove acidity.
5
Add tomato paste and cook for about 30 seconds to reduce its acidity.
6
Stir in thyme, bay leaf, and garlic, mixing well.
7
Add fresh tomatoes (or canned whole peeled tomatoes) and mix the entire contents together.
8
Pour in the prawn or crayfish bisque, which is the key ingredient that creates the sauce base quickly with rich flavor.
9
Dilute the bisque with water to reach desired consistency, then return the seared crabs to the pan and simmer gently for about 10 minutes to infuse flavors.
10
Taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove crab pieces, reserving attractive halves for garnish, and strain the sauce into a clean pan.
11
Return the pan to medium heat and warm the sauce. Add 2 generous tablespoons of cream and stir well.
12
Add Espelette pepper (or cayenne) for heat, and a touch of Noilly Prat vermouth for subtle bitter orange notes.
13
Add mussels to the simmering sauce, cover with a lid, and steam for about 6 minutes until they open.
14
Transfer the opened mussels to a plate. Reduce heat and add the white fish fillets, cooking gently until nearly cooked through.
15
Just before the fish is fully cooked, return the mussels and crab pieces to the pan to warm through. Plate together, garnish with parsley and reserved crab pieces, and serve immediately.

Seafood à l'Armoricaine (Brittany-Style Seafood)

Ingredients

Steps

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