Seafood And Saffron Tomato And Fennel Soup Recipes

CIOPPINO (SEAFOOD SOUP) WITH FENNEL AND GARLIC

Steps:

• In a large, heavy saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped fennel, onion, shallots, and garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Stir in the wine, then the tomatoes, parsley, red pepper flakes, clam juice, and water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the butter and stir to melt, then remove from heat.
• In a large cast iron skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and toss on the mussels and clams. Cook for 4 minutes. As the mussels and clams begin to open, add the fish, calamari, and shrimp, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink. Discard any mussels or clams that don't open. Add 1 cup of the tomato mixture and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the saucepan with the remaining tomato mixture and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with the basil, garnish with the fennel fronds, and serve immediately.

ROCK COD CHOWDER IN SAFFRON-TOMATO BROTH

Steps:

• Soak the saffron in the boiling water for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Working over the can of tomatoes, break open each tomato, scrape the seeds into the can, and put the seeded tomatoes in a bowl. Squeeze the seeded tomatoes in your hand to break them up thoroughly, then strain the juice from the can into the bowl with the tomatoes. Discard the seeds and set the bowl aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or similar soup pot over medium heat. Add the leek, diced fennel bulb, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the fennel starts to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the wine. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the stock, tomatoes, potatoes, the saffron and soaking liquid, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the liquid to a boil, partially cover the pot, and lower the heat to maintain a bare simmer. Cook, occasionally skimming the scum off the top, until the potatoes and fennel are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut the fish into 1- to 2-inch pieces and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Add the lemon juice to the soup, then taste and add more lemon juice or salt as needed. Add the fish, along with the fennel fronds if you have them. Cook until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily, 5 to 10 minutes. If necessary, use a spoon to gently break the fish into smaller chunks.
• Serve right away. If you need to reheat, do so gently and briefly to avoid overcooking the fish.

SEAFOOD IN SAFFRON BROTH

Steps:

• Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb, discarding stalks. Finely chop fennel and onion. Seed tomato and finely chop. Mince garlic. Scrub mussels well and remove beards. Shell shrimp and devein. Cut scrod into 1-inch pieces. Stir saffron into wine.
• In a 4-quart kettle cook fennel and onion in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine mixture and simmer until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 3 minutes. Add mussels with 1/2 cup stock and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until most mussels are opened, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp, scrod, tomato, and remaining 2 1/2 cups stock and cook at a bare simmer until fish is just cooked through, about 2 minutes. (Discard any unopened mussels.) Season mixture with salt and pepper.
• Divide seafood between 2 bowls and ladle broth over it. Garnish seafood with lemon wedges and serve with bread.