Zuppa Di Mussels Food

ZUPPA DE CLAMS (OR MUSSELS)

Steps:

• Wash and dry the clams and soak them in a large bowl in cold, salted water for about 30 minutes.
• Any remaining sand should fall to the bottom of the bowl.
• Drain the clams and rinse them well in a colander under running water.
• Crush one clove of garlic, and slice the remaining cloves very thin.
• In a large, heavy pan, sauté the crushed garlic until it begins to brown, then remove from the pan and discard.
• Add the remaining sliced garlic and the parsley.
• Cook over very low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and enough liquid to just make a slightly soupy dish.
• You don't want too much liquid in this, but judge the amount to your taste.
• Season with the salt and pepper, then raise the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes.
• (Add more liquid if necessary).
• Add the clams, lower the heat again, cover pan, and let steam for about 10 minutes, or until the shells have opened and the clams are ready.
• Discard any unopened clams.
• Sprinkle with more freshly ground pepper and the basil, if desired.
• (You can substitute a teaspoon of dried if you wish).
• Serve in shallow bowls with slices of bread for dunking.

ZUPPA DI COZZE: MUSSEL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat up extra-virgin olive oil in a deep saucepan. Add the garlic and chile peppers and cook until the garlic is golden. Then add the tomatoes, and saute for approximately a minute. Add the mussels, wine, salt and stir. Cover with a lid, allowing the mussels to steam open. Cook until all the mussels are fully opened. Discard any unopened mussels. Sprinkle the mixture with parsley, add more salt, if needed, and stir well. Serve immediately with toasted bread.

ZUPPA DI MARE (SEAFOOD SOUP)

Steps:

• In a food processor, chop garlic and anchovies; add 2 tablespoons parsley, red pepper flakes, oregano and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Process to form a loose paste (I had to add more of the olive oil - add up to 2 more tablespoons to process).
• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute softrito, over medium heat, until the garlic pieces are golden and it sizzles.
• Stir in the mussels and clams, tossing to coat in sofrito.
• Add wine, increase heat to medium high, and cook until reduced by half.
• Stir in stock, tomato sauce, and saffron; return to a simmer.
• Add diced fish and cook one minute.
• Add scallops, cook one minute.
• Add shrimp, cook one minute.
• Add squid; taste for seasonings.
• By this time the shells should have opened (sometimes the shellfish, especially the mussels, open before this point and I remove them so they don't get rubbery, then return them at the end), if not cover for a minute or so, until they open; discard any shells that do not open.
• Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over soup and garnish with remaining parsley.

ZUPPA DI PESCE

Steps:

• Make soup: Rinse squid under cold running water and pat dry.
• If squid are large, halve ring of tentacles, then cut longer tentacles crosswise into 2-inch pieces.
• Pull off flaps from squid bodies and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut bodies crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rings.
• Pat shrimp dry and sprinkle with pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Heat oil in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear shrimp in 2 batches, turning over once, until golden but not cooked through, about 2 minutes per batch.
• Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
• Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano to pot and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds.
• Add wine and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in clams and cook, covered, over moderately high heat until shells open wide, checking frequently after 6 minutes and transferring as opened with a slotted spoon to bowl with shrimp. (Discard any unopened clams after 8 minutes.)
• Stir in mussels and cook, covered, over moderately high heat until shells open wide, checking frequently after 3 minutes and transferring as opened with a slotted spoon to bowl with shrimp. (Discard any unopened mussels after 6 minutes.)
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F
• Add stock to pot along with remaining 4 cups water, tomatoes with juice, sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.
• Make toasts while stock simmers: Arrange bread slices in 1 layer on a baking sheet, then drizzle with oil and season with salt.
• Bake, turning over once, until golden, about 10 minutes total. Transfer toasts to a rack to cool slightly, then rub lightly with cut sides of garlic and sprinkle with parsley.
• Finish soup: Add halibut to stock and cook at a bare simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in squid and reserved shellfish, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 minute. Stir in basil and parsley and serve immediately, with toasts alongside for dipping.

ZUPPA DI MUSSELS (CLAMS) O VONGOLE AL POMODORO

Steps:

• (Start preparing a day ahead.).
• Cooking Time: 30 minutes.
• Preparation:.
• Soak shellfish overnight in salted water (in sea water if available, or see instructions below.).
• Drain in a colander. Mince abundant parsley, cut the tomatoes, and grind some pepper in your peppermill.
• Sliced garlic as finely as possible. Not minced, just paper thin fine slices.
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy 3 quart saucepan or Dutch oven over very low heat. Add the garlic; cook slowly until the garlic just begins to turn very light brown, this should take about 10 minutes. 2. Add the crushed red pepper, if using, and remove from the heat. Let cool 5 minutes.
• Return the pan to high heat; add the wine and boil 3 minutes. Add the cleaned clams or mussels and cover tightly. Steam, shaking the pan occasionally, just until the shells open, about 2 minutes for the mussels, 6 minutes for the clams. 60 seconds before completion add tomatoes and parsley if desired, more red pepper or black pepper to taste. Spoon the shellfish and broth into shallow bowls and serve very hot.
• Cook a minute or two more, and serve, with toasted bread or over pasta.
• Note:.
• If one of the shellfish fails to open upon being cooked, do not eat it! It was already dead when it went into the pot, and eating it could make you quite sick.

ZUPPA DI PESCE FRA DI AVOLO

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir sea scallops, shrimp, and calamari rings in the hot oil until scallops and calamari are opaque and shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes.
• Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and add mussels and littleneck clams to the boiling water; cook until shells have opened, about 3 minutes. Remove shellfish and rinse with hot water.
• Pour crushed tomatoes, water, 2 cans chopped clams, 1/4 cup olive oil, onion, red pepper flakes, garlic, oregano, parsley, and salt into a large pot and bring to a boil. Stir cooked scallops, shrimp, calamari, mussels in shells, and littleneck clams in shells into tomato mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
• About 10 minutes before serving, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 minutes; drain and rinse pasta in hot water to prevent sticking. Serve seafood and sauce over pasta.