This delicious festive soup uses mainly the more affordable shellfish such as mussels and clams, but it is up to you which ones you use. I use water or fish stock for this recipe as the fresh shellfish taste really comes through. Using milk would make a richer chowder, but the flavour would not be as clean and fresh.
1 shallot, sliced
1 bay leaf
30ml/1fl oz rapeseed oil
100g/3½oz button mushrooms, sliced
500g/1lb 2oz crab and lobster shells
200ml/7fl oz white wine
30g/1oz unsalted butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 bay leaf
400g/14oz clams, washed
400g/14oz mussles, cleaned, beards removed (Discard any mussels that don’t close when tapped.)
200g/7oz cockles, washed
200ml/7fl oz shellfish stock (as above) or water
100ml/3½fl oz whipping cream
10g/¼oz wakame seaweed, quickly washed in cold water
1cm/½in piece root ginger, peeled, grated (optional)
2 pinches nutmeg, ground (optional)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
½ lemon, juice only
To add a more robust flavour to the soup, you can make a shellfish stock, or just use water as directed below. In a large saucepan over a medium heat, cook the shallot and bay leaf in the rapeseed oil for five minutes until the onion is soft but not coloured. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for two minutes.
Increase the heat to high, add the shells and cook for four minutes stirring continuously. Use the end of a rolling pin to crush the shells, extracting more of their flavour. Add 400ml/14fl oz water and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve, using the back of a ladle to press as much of the liquid through the sieve as possible. Set the stock aside until needed.
For the chowder, bring the wine to the boil in a small saucepan and boil for 30 seconds. It is essential to boil the wine before you use it, to remove most of the harsh alcohol taste, leaving the fruity, acidic qualities of the wine to balance the dish. Set aside.
In a large saucepan over a medium heat, melt the butter and cook the onion and garlic for five minutes until soft, but not coloured.
Increase the heat to high and add the wine, bring to a boil and cook for one minute. Add the bay leaf, clams, mussels and cockles, cover with a lid and cook for two minutes until the shellfish have opened. Discard any mussels or clams that don’t open.
Drain the cooked shellfish through a colander, reserving the cooking liquid, and allow to cool for two minutes. Pick the meats from the shells and set aside.
Add the shellfish cooking liquid, shellfish stock or water, the cream and washed seaweed back into the pan and bring to a boil. Add the ginger and nutmeg, the picked shellfish meats and chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Serve in deep bowls with plenty of crusty bread.
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