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Love Tonic From the Sea

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SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

A bowl of steaming shellfish is a good winter tonic. Served from a large kettle, it’s family cooking; presented with candlelight and flowers, it makes a romantic meal.

This chowder, with clams and mussels (an aphrodisiac to some) in a light tomato-based broth, is an easy fisherman’s stew for two. Dicing the vegetables into 1/4-inch pieces lets them cook more quickly. Small tender bay scallops or pieces of firm-fleshed fish can be added to the soup with the clams and mussels, depending on the selection at your fish counter. Make plenty of crusty sourdough garlic bread to eat with it. Fresh Medjool dates are intensely sweet and make an uncomplicated but romantic dessert.

Menu

Shellfish Chowder

Sourdough Garlic Bread

Fresh Medjool Dates

Shellfish Chowder

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes

1 small onion

4 cloves garlic

2 baking potatoes

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt, pepper

1/2 cup white wine

1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes in juices

1 1/2 cups clam juice

2 to 3 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 pound mussels, in shells

1/2 pound littleneck clams, in shells

1 tablespoon Sherry

* Dice onion and mince garlic. Peel and dice potatoes.

* Heat olive oil in heavy-bottomed soup pot. Saute onion and garlic over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add white wine, tomatoes, clam juice, thyme, bay leaf and diced potatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 15 minutes.

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* As soup simmers, scrub mussels and clams thoroughly under cold running water and remove beards (the fibrous string protruding between shells) from mussels. Add Sherry, clams and mussels and simmer until shellfish open, about 5 minutes. Discard any shellfish that don’t open.

2 servings. Each serving: 606 calories; 1,647 mg sodium; 113 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 50 grams protein; 2.66 grams fiber.

Sourdough Garlic Bread

Active Work Time: 5 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 10 minutes

4 to 6 thick slices sourdough bread

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt, pepper

* Toast bread slices in 375-degree oven or under broiler.

* Rub slices with garlic cloves, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

2 servings. Each serving: 428 calories; 757 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 59 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 0.26 gram fiber.

Game Plan

30 minutes before: Chop onions and garlic; peel potatoes.

25 minutes before: Saute onion and garlic; dice potatoes.

20 minutes before: Add the rest of the ingredients, except shellfish, to the soup; bring to a boil.

15 minutes before: Make garlic bread; scrub shellfish.

5 minutes before: Add shellfish to soup.

Ingredients

Shopping List

1 small onion

1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice

2 baking potatoes

1 bunch thyme

1/2 pound mussels

1/2 pound littleneck clams

1 loaf sourdough bread

Staples

Olive oil

Garlic

White wine

Bay leaves

Sherry

Salt

Pepper

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