Today marks World Mussel Day and what better than a hearty fish stew to celebrate? This recipe is taken from The Taste of Belgium, a country that certainly knows how to cook mussels!
Fish Stew From The North Sea
Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a first course.
INGREDIENTS
Mussel broth
20g unsalted butter
1 medium onion sliced
2 washed leeks, green parts only – save the white parts for the fish stew- sliced
prawn shells from 12-18 prawns
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
3 parsley sprigs
360ml dry white wine
240ml water
1kg/2lbs small mussels, thoroughly cleaned and bearded.
Fish Stew
40g unsalted butter
2 leeks, white parts only and julienned or thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned or thinly sliced
1 celery root (celeriac in the winter or small fennel bulb in the summer), julienned or thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, chopped
240ml whipping cream
½ tsp dill seeds
½ tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
pinch saffron threads
pinch cayenne pepper
1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and diced into cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 to 12 littleneck clams (2 per person), scrubbed
550g monkfish, cod, hake or red snapper fillet – or a combination of several white firm- fleshed fish, skin removed, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
12-18 prawns, peeled, shells reserved for the broth
225g bay scallops
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Herbed garlic bread.
Prepare the mussel broth
Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery and green slices of leeks and cook, stirring occasionally until softened , but not browned. Add the prawn shells, thyme, bay leaf, parsley sprigs, wine and the water and bring to the boil. Add the mussels, cover the pot and cook the mussels over high heat until all the mussels are open, 4-6 minutes. remove from the heat and let it cool a little. remove the mussels from the pot, discarding any that haven’t opened. remove the mussels from their shells, but leave one mussel per person with its shell attached.
Strain the broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth, there should be about 480ml mussel broth. Reserve.
Prepare the fish stew
In a large enamelled casserole (Dutch Oven), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks, carrot, celery root, shallots and garlic and cook, covered, until the vegetables are soft, 10-15 minutes. Check on them from time to time, to make sure they do not brown. Stir in a little water if necessary.
Add the mussel broth, cream, dill seeds, thyme, bay leaf, saffron and cayenne pepper. Simmer over a low heat for another 10 minutes. Do not allow to boil or the cream will curdle. Add the tomato, salt and pepper to taste and cook for one minute more. (You can prepare the dish in advance up to this point).
Just before serving, reheat the broth over medium heat and add the fish and shellfish in the order of cooking times. Start with the clams, cook, covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fish and the prawns; cook for another 2 minutes Add the scallops and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Finally, add the cooked mussels, including those in the shell; cook just long enough for the mussels to heat through. Discard any clams that haven’t opened.
Serve in deep soup plates, making sure there is a clam and a mussel in the shell in each plate. Sprinkle each plate of stew generously with chopped parsley. Serve with herbed garlic bread.
NB: Fish and shellfish should never be overcooked, for their delicate flesh with turn tough and chewy.
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