Romantic Seafood Soup For Two

SEAFOOD BAKE FOR TWO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Arrange the halibut, scallops, and shrimp in an oven-safe, glass baking dish. Drizzle with wine, butter, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with the seasoning and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bake in preheated oven until the halibut has turned white, and is flaky, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving.

SEAFOOD STEW FOR TWO

Steps:

• Thinly slice half of fennel bulb; set aside. Coarsely chop other half. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium heavy pot over medium-low. Add chopped fennel, celery, leek, garlic, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft but have not taken on any color, 10-12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove shells and heads from all but 2 prawns (keep shells and heads for making broth).
• Once vegetables are soft, increase heat to medium and add prawn heads and shells and saffron (if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until shells are bright pink, about 4 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add half of tomatoes and 4 cups water. Bring to a strong simmer, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced by about one-third and flavors have melded, 60-70 minutes.
• Remove from heat and puree mixture with an immersion blender until smooth (or let cool slightly and puree in batches in a blender). Strain broth through a finemesh sieve into a large measuring glass or bowl (you should have about 3 1/2 cups).
• Wipe out pot and heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add fennel seeds, reserved sliced fennel, and remaining tomatoes, crushing them with your hands. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel is softened and seeds are toasted, about 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium-high. Season snapper and scallops with salt and pepper. Cook snapper, skin side down, pressing gently with the back of a spatula to ensure contact with pan, until skin is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn fish and cook until cooked through, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate.
• Cook scallops in same skillet (no need to wipe out) until golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side; transfer to plate with snapper. Slice squid bodies into 1/4"-thick rings. Add cockles and mussels to pot with broth. Cook until they just start to open, then reduce heat to medium-low and add squid and all prawns, making sure they're submerged in the liquid. Simmer until cockles and mussels are opened and prawns and squid are just cooked through, about 3 minutes (discard any cockles and mussels that do not open).
• Divide seafood stew between bowls, placing a head-on prawn on top of each; nestle snapper and scallops into broth and scatter tarragon sprigs over. Serve with bread and butter alongside for dipping into broth.
• Do ahead
• Broth can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill.

ROMANTIC SEAFOOD SOUP FOR TWO

Steps:

• Combine onions and garlic and cook, covered, over low heat until soft, stirring frequently so they don't scorch.
• Add parsley, bell pepper, tomato sauce, wine, water, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and bay leaf and slow simmer, covered, for 1 hour checking from time to time for liquid and add if any is needed.
• Add crab or white fish, shrimp, scallops or clams and cook, covered, for 8-10 minutes or until scallops or clam shells open.
• Discard any shells that do not open.
• Serve hot.

SEAFOOD NEWBURG

Steps:

• Put all the seafood in a bowl and season with 1/3 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/3 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper.
• Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
• Add shrimp, fish, and scallops, and cook for about 6 minutes total, stirring occasionally. Make sure the pan is large enough that the seafood isn't crowded. If they touch each other, they'll steam. Cook in batches if necessary.
• When done cooking, remove from heat, put in a bowl, and squeeze some fresh lemon juice over it (about 1 tablespoon).
• In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons butter until the butter bubbles but doesn't smoke.
• Add 2 tablespoons minced shallots, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg (optional).
• Stir a couple of times while cooking for about about 2 minutes (until shallots turn translucent).
• Add 2 tablespoons flour and quickly whisk everything together (this step takes maybe 10 seconds).
• Add 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup half & half and whisk until it reaches desired consistency. It'll take about 2 minutes for the flour and liquids to fully interact. Therefore, give it a little time before adjusting the desired thickness (by adding more milk or flour).
• Taste. Add kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Taste. Add 2 tablespoons of dry sherry and whisk everything for 30 seconds or so. Taste again.
• Get your (ideally pre-warmed) plates ready.
• Put the cooked seafood back into the cream sauce and stir for a couple of minutes.
• Sprinkle some roughly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley on top and serve over pasta, or with some French baguette or garlic bread.