Baked Fish With Clam Stuffing Recipes

BAKED SEA BASS STUFFED WITH SHELLFISH

Steps:

• Set a rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat it to 475 degrees. Soak the clams and mussels for 5 minutes in a large bowl of cold water. Scrub the shells using a stiff brush. Drain. Discard any shellfish that don't shut when tapped. Pull away fibers from the mussels.
• Put the clams, mussels and wine in a large pot, cover and set over high heat. Shake the pan occasionally and remove the shellfish as soon as their shells open. Shell the clams and mussels and place their meat in a bowl. Strain the juices through a paper-towel-lined fine sieve and into the bowl of shellfish. Let soak for 20 minutes.
• Transfer the shellfish to a large bowl. Set the juices aside. Pat the shrimp dry, chop theminto bite-size pieces and add to the bowl of shellfish along with the garlic, onion, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil and bread crumbs. Season all over with salt and pepper and toss gently.
• Line a baking sheet with 2 layers of foil, extending double the length of the pan. Pour some of the shellfish juices on the bottom of the pan and place the fish in the center. Season the inside of the fish with salt and pepper. Stuff it with the shellfish mixture. Moisten the skin side of the fish with some of the remaining shellfish juices. Fold the foil over the fish, crimping the edges to tightly seal it. In the upper third of the oven, roast the striped bass for about 40 to 45 minutes (or the small branzini for 15 to 20 minutes). Let rest for 10 minutes. Cut open the pouch. Remove the fins. Slice the fish across as you would a roast. Top each slice with some of the juices.

CLAM STUFFING BAKE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, saute the celery, peppers and onion in 1 tablespoon butter until almost tender. Stir in broth and carrot. Bring to a boil. Stir in stuffing mix. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in clams. , Transfer to two 6-oz. ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray. Melt remaining butter; stir in lemon juice. Drizzle over the stuffing mix. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through and golden brown.

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.

CLAM STUFFING

Steps:

• 1. Drain clams and reserve liqueur. Remove clam stomachs and finely mince. Set aside. Cut ingredients in half for smaller fish, and double it if stuffing a turkey.
• 2. Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion, thyme, basil, salt, pepper, and pinch of paprika. Sauté mixture for about 3 minutes until onion becomes golden brown.
• 3. Break egg into large mixing bowl and beat well. Add bread crumbs and sautée mixture. Blend well.
• 4. Add minced clams and blend thoroughly. If stuffing is too dry add clam liqueur by the teaspoons until desired level of moistness is reached. Makes enough to stuff a 4 lb fish.
• 5. Cut ingredients in half for smaller fish, and double it if stuffing a turkey.

BAKED CLAM "STUFFIES"

Steps:

• Steam clams: Preheat oven to 350 F. Rinse clams in water to remove any sand or grit. (Alternatively, clams can be soaked in water up to 1 hour.) In a large Dutch oven over high heat, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Add clams to the boiling water; cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until clams are open, 7-10 minutes, checking after 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.
• Vegetables: Small-dice the onion. Remove and discard the seeds and white ribs from bell pepper, then small-dice. Trim away the top and bottom of the celery, then small-dice. Roughly mince the garlic. Set all the vegetables aside.
• After 5 minutes, check the clams; transfer the ones that have opened to a bowl. Continue steaming the remaining clams until they are all open, discarding the ones that are cracked or don't open; reserve the clam broth in the Dutch oven. Allow the clams and clam broth to cool.
• Stuffing: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. When foamy, add vegetables and sweat until soft, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, remove clams from their shells; set the shells aside. Optional: Cut the clams in half, then remove and discard any dark detritus in the bellies. Roughly chop the clams, then set aside.Separate the clam shells at their hinges; rinse and dry, then pick 12 of the nicest-looking half-shells and scrape off any muscle that remains attached. Set aside.
• When the vegetables are soft, add the chopped clams, chorizo, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook until the chorizo fat begins to render, 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, place Ritz crackers in a plastic zip-top bag. Crush into a coarse meal using a rolling pin, and set aside. (Note: If using unseasoned breadcrumbs, add a pinch of dried parsley, dried thyme, and dried oregano, and mix to combine.)
• Set a coffee filter into a small bowl. Strain about 1 cup of the reserved clam broth through the filter to remove sand and impurities. Set aside the strained broth.To the clam mixture, add ½ cup breadcrumbs, the crushed crackers, and ½ cup strained broth. Stir to combine, adding more breadcrumbs as necessary for a moist, stuffing-like consistency. Turn off heat and let cool, 10 minutes.
• Bake: Place the 12 clean, dried shells on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Heap each shell with plenty of clam stuffing, lightly packing it so nothing spills out. Top with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake until Stuffies are heated through and begin to brown on top, 15-20 minutes.When Stuffies are lightly brown, turn on the broiler. Place the tray on the top rack, 6 inches from the heat source, and broil until brown and crusty on top, about 2 minutes. (Keep a close eye on the Stuffies so they don't burn!)
• Remove from oven and arrange shells on a serving platter. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges and hot sauce on the side.

FISH FILLETS WITH STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients and mix well. In a greased 13-in. x 9-in. microwave-safe dish, arrange the fillets with stuffing between them. Moisten paper towels with water; place over fish. Cook 9-11 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, rotating dish occasionally. Sprinkle with paprika.