Fish Soup With Mussels And Clams Recipes

CLAM AND MUSSEL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and sauté the cockles and mussels briefly. Pour in the wine, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the shells open up. Throw away any that do not open up. Transfer to a bowl and reserve the cooking liquid.
• Remove about half of the cockles and mussels from the shells.
• Heat the butter in a large pan and fry the bacon in it. Add the vegetables, thyme and bay leaf and cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over everything, mix well and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the saffron and milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Right before serving, return the cockles and mussels to the pot and stir in the creme fraiche. Serve in shallow bowls.

FISH FILLET WITH CLAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Depending on what kind of flatfish you're using, either remove the top dark skin by pulling it off or cutting it off with a sharp or - if the skin is relatively thin- leave it attached or scale it. Scrape the bottom white side to remove any scales and remove the sharp fins with scissors. (Or ask your fishmonger to do all of this.) Rinse the fish in cold water.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a 4-quart pot, bring the wine to a simmer with the shallots. Add the mussels or clams, cover, and steam until they open - about 7 minutes for mussels, 12 minutes for clams. Take the mussels or clams out of their shells, discard the shells, and reserve the meats. If the shellfish-steaming liquid is sandy, pour it slowly and carefully into a bowl, leaving the sand behind. Arrange the flatfish- dark skin side up- in a buttered or oiled dish that closely fits it and pour on the shellfish- cooking liquid. There should be enough liquid to come halfway up the sides of the fish. If there isn't, add some water or fish broth. Place the containers with the fish on the stove over medium heat until the liquid comes to a simmer. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and slide the fish into the oven . Braise for 5 to 12 minutes per inch of thickness. Carefully transfer the fish to individual platters or plates using a large spatula. Keep the fish warm while you're preparing the sauce. Strain the cooking liquid into a 2- quart saucepan and cook it down over high heat until 1/2 cup remains. Thicken the sauce by whisking in any optional thickeners and bringing it to a quick simmer. Once the sauce is thickened, add the lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently reheat the mussels or clams in the sauce - don't let it boil - and spoon the sauce and the mussels or clams over each fish.

MUSSELS, CLAMS AND SHRIMP IN SPICY BROTH

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper. Saute until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down and the flavors blend, about 5 minutes. Stir in the clams. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the mussels. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels open, about 5 minutes longer.
• Using a tongs, transfer the opened shellfish to serving bowls (discard any shellfish that do not open). Add the shrimp and basil to the simmering tomato broth. Simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes. Divide the shrimp and tomato broth among the bowls. Serve with the warm bread.