SERVES 4
Caldereta de langosta—a stew made with locally caught spiny lobster, a smaller and sweeter-tasting crustacean than the American lobster—is a legendary dish of Fornells, an isolated fishing village on the north coast of Menorca. The local season for spiny lobster runs from April 1 until August 31, and during this short season, the lobsters carry roe, which is incorporated into the dish. It’s a silken stew, and served from the deep cazuela called a caldera, which gives the dish its name.
There are a couple of similar soups prepared in Fornell’s calderas that are eaten year-round. One incorporates a range of shellfish, the other—this one—of fish. Specifically, it calls for pescado de roca, literally “rockfish,” small, bony fish whose flavor drives Mediterranean dishes like this (as well as that classic from nearby Provence, bouillabaisse). This velvety Menorcan soup is topped with some flakes of a larger fish, such as bream or sea bass, and often served with very thin slices of toasted bread cut from the local low-salt country loaf.
1. Rinse all the fish and put them in a large stock or soup pot. Add half of the leeks, half of the onions, and the celery; cover with 8 cups/2 L water, and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and gently boil for 20 minutes, until the essence of the sea has been poached from the fish. Strain, reserving the liquid. Remove the bream and any larger fish; skin, debone, and flake the meat. Set aside. Discard the vegetables and remaining fish.
2. In a deep cazuela, Dutch oven, or large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and prepare a sofrito: Add the remaining leeks and onions and cook until they are pale and tender, about 8 minutes. Add the carrot and cook until it has softened somewhat and turned a yellowish orange color, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until pulpy and darker red, about 10 minutes, adding in a few tablespoons of simmering stock from time to time to keep it moist. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Stir in 1 cup/240 ml of the reserved stock, lower the heat, and simmer until the carrot is very tender and the sauce has concentrated down, about 15 minutes. Pass the sauce through a food mill and return it to the pan.
3. Stir in the remaining 7 cups/1.76 L reserved stock. Add the pimentón and saffron and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Slice the bread as thinly as possible. Arrange it on a baking sheet, and place under the broiler until golden and toasted. Transfer to a bread basket.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and sprinkle the reserved flaked fish into the pot. Cover the pot for 1 to 2 minutes before ladling the soup into bowls and serving with the toast.
