Spanish Lobster and Sea Scallop Chowder
Clam, Potato, and Kale Soup with Bacon
Creamy Oyster Soup with Lemon-Parsley Pesto
Chinese Noodle Soup with Shrimp
This beautiful soup evolved while I was writing about Nova Scotia. There I met Jason Lynch, the highly regarded chef at Le Caveau restaurant at Domaine de Grand Pré Winery Restaurant, in the Annapolis Valley. After discussing the extraordinarily succulent, sweet scallops from the province’s northern coastline, I asked him for a scallop soup recipe; he kindly agreed.
½ pound curly kale, center ribs removed
Coarse salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1¾ cups high-quality fish fumet or chicken stock
¼ cup heavy cream
4 large sea scallops, preferably day boat, side muscle removed
Sea salt and white pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Rinse the kale in cold water. Bring a medium-size pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the kale and cook for 2 minutes, drain, and shock under cold water to set the color, and drain again. Transfer to a food processor and purée until smooth.
In a medium-size saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until they are translucent, 1–2 minutes. Stir in the stock and cream and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat down to medium and reduce the liquid to slightly more than 1½ cups, about 15 minutes.
Pat the scallops dry on a paper towel and cut in half horizontally so you end up with 8 pieces of scallop; season with salt and white pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the scallops and sauté for 30 seconds per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate on the side.
Stir the puréed kale into the soup base and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Ladle the soup into two bowls, add four pieces of scallop in the center of each bowl, and serve.
SPANISH LOBSTER AND SEA SCALLOP CHOWDER
In this tempting chowder, chef Jason Lynch, of Nova Scotia, celebrates the glories of this Canadian province’s seafood. Lobsters and sea scallops are given a Spanish touch with smoked paprika, or Pimentón de la Vera, and slivered almonds.
1 cup loosely packed pieces of fresh potato bread or any good sourdough
¼ cup heavy cream
1½ cups water
¾ cup chicken stock
1 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons ground almonds (see the sidebar)
Salt and white pepper
4 medium-size scallops, side muscle removed, cut in half horizontally
1 (8-ounce) lobster tail, cooked and roughly chopped (about ¾ cup of meat)
Pinch smoked paprika for garnish
1 tablespoon slivered almonds, toasted, for garnish
1 scallion, thinly sliced on the bias, for garnish
In a bowl, soak the bread in the cream until it’s absorbed, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium-size saucepan, bring the water and stock to a boil; turn the heat down to a simmer.
In the jar of an electric blender, combine the bread and water-stock mixture, and purée until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan, stir in the garlic and ground almonds, and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Add the scallops to the soup and simmer for 2 minutes.
Spoon the cooked lobster into the bottom of two shallow soup bowls and ladle on the hot chowder. Garnish with the smoked paprika, slivered almonds, and green scallion, and serve.
Ground Almonds
You can finely grind the almonds in either a clean coffee grinder or a food processor.
CLAM, POTATO, AND KALE SOUP WITH BACON
In this easy seafood soup, succulent clams—in or out of their shells—with diced potatoes and kale are simmered in a fragrant broth accented with garlic, bacon, and red pepper flakes. The bacon adds a lusty flavor of its own. The soup is a variation of Portuguese caldo verde, a longtime favorite of mine. Serve it with crusty bread to sop up the broth.
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon fragrant extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (½ cup)
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1½ cups chicken stock
1 medium-small Yukon Gold or other waxy potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (¾ cup)
2 small sprigs flat-leaf parsley, plus a little chopped parsley for garnish
1 small sprig thyme
Pinch red pepper flakes
12 littleneck clams, scrubbed to remove the sand
1½ cups kale leaves, preferably Lacinato variety, thick stems removed, thinly julienned crosswise (see the sidebar)
Freshly ground black pepper
In a medium-size saucepan, cook the bacon in the olive oil over medium heat until the bacon has rendered about half of its fat, 2–3 minutes. Stir in the onion and continue cooking until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Pour in the stock, stirring up any browned bits. Add the potatoes, parsley, thyme, and red pepper flakes; cover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the clams, recover, and simmer until the clams are all opened, 8–10 minutes.
If desired, use a slotted spoon to transfer the clams to a bowl and remove them from the shells, leaving four clams in their shells for garnish. Return the liquid to a boil. Stir in the kale and cook until tender. Return the clams to the soup, season the soup to taste with pepper, and serve each bowl with a little parsley sprinkled on top.
Lacinato Kale
Kale has been used in cooking for at least two thousand years. Among the numerous varieties of edible kale (some are used only for ornamental purposes), the most common are sweet and mild curly kale (used by Jason Lynch in his recipe here, because he prefers the milder flavor) and lacinato (also called Tuscan, black, or dinosaur) kale, with long, wrinkled leaves. The two are interchangeable and are usually reasonably priced. I prefer lacinato, because I find it easier to remove the stems and thick ribs by tracing along the ribs with a sharp knife.
Along with mussels and diced tomatoes, this aromatic soup includes fennel, leeks, garlic, saffron, white wine, and a dash of Pernod. It’s finished with a piquant mixture of minced lemon zest, parsley, and garlic that will transport you to the south of France. Enjoy the mussels in or out of their shells. (Or just add one or two of the cooked mussels in their shells to each bowl as a garnish.) Serve with toasted country bread. For a larger serving, add another half pound of mussels.
1 tablespoon fruity extra-virgin olive oil
½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced (½ cup)
1 medium leek, well rinsed, cut in half lengthwise, white and pale green parts thinly sliced (½ cup)
1 large clove garlic, minced, plus 1 additional large clove chopped for topping
1 cup bottled clam broth
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup canned diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
1½ tablespoons Pernod
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Salt
1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Zest of ½ lemon
In a medium-size saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the fennel and leek and sauté until wilted and beginning to color, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in in the clam broth, wine, tomatoes, Pernod, thyme, saffron, cayenne, and salt to taste. Add the mussels, cover, and cook over medium-high heat just until the mussels open, 3–5 minutes, depending on the size.
Meanwhile, combine the parsley, lemon zest, and remaining garlic; finely chop and season with a little salt.
If desired, remove all but four of the mussels from their shells and add them back to the soup. Gently reheat the soup, stir in the topping, and taste to correct the seasonings. Ladle the soup into two wide bowls, add the reserved mussels in their shells, and serve.
This soup was inspired by a bowl of mussels I ate in Helsinki, in which lemongrass, coconut milk, and a Thai chile imparted a tantalizing Asian flavor to the broth. Serve the soup with a crisp green salad and crusty French bread to soak up every last drop of the delicious broth. Use another half pound of mussels for a more substantial meal.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and center portion minced (see the sidebar)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ Thai chile or 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and very thinly sliced lengthwise
1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1½ cups chicken stock
1 (14½-ounce) can coconut milk, not “lite” variety
3 large sprigs flat-leaf parsley
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon julienned fresh basil
In a medium-size pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until just wilted, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lemongrass, garlic, and chile and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the mussels, stock, coconut milk, and parsley. Cover and cook over medium-high heat just until the mussels open, 3–5 minutes, depending on size. If desired, use a slotted spoon to remove the mussels from the soup and take them out of their shells, keeping a few in their shells for garnish. Discard any mussels that are unopened or have broken shells.
Squeeze the lemon juice into the broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into two wide bowls, add the reserved mussels in their shells, sprinkle on the basil, and serve.
Using Fresh Lemongrass
There are different ways of preparing fresh lemongrass for cooking. Always start by slicing off the bottom of the bulb, removing the tough outer leaves, and trimming the stalk above the yellow section.
In some dishes, the whole stalk is bruised by hitting it with the side of a knife to release its flavor. In others, the stalk is cut in half lengthwise and then into 2- or 3-inch lengths and the pieces are bruised. That is how it is used in Thai Chicken and Coconut Milk Soup (here).
Finally, as in this recipe, the trimmed stalk is cut crosswise into thin slices that are either minced by hand or put into a food processor and pulverized.
I don’t recommend using dried lemongrass. Rather than imparting lemongrass’s fresh, citrusy flavor, I think it adds a musty, old taste.
CREAMY OYSTER SOUP WITH LEMON-PARSLEY PESTO
Several years ago, while I was living in Washington, D.C., a friend brought me a pint of shucked oysters from a festival in St. Mary’s, Maryland. She challenged me to create something “delicious.” This soup of gently poached, plump oysters garnished with parsley-lemon pesto was the result. It’s substantial enough for a light supper or to start an elegant dinner.
Lemon-Parsley Pesto (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small carrot, finely chopped (⅓ cup)
½ medium-large celery rib, finely chopped (⅓ cup)
1 small onion, finely chopped (⅓ cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup dry vermouth
½–¾ cup half-and-half
¾ cup bottled clam broth
8 ounces shucked oysters, coarsely chopped if large, plus their liquor
Salt and white pepper
Prepare the Lemon-Parsley Pesto.
In a medium-size saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the carrot, celery, and onion and sauté until the onion is lightly browned, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, cover, adjust the heat to low, and sweat the vegetables until soft, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the vermouth, stir up any browned cooking bits, and bring the liquid to a boil for 1 minute. Stir in ½ cup of the half-and-half and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture along with the clam broth to the jar of an electric blender and purée until smooth.
Return the purée to the pan and bring it to a simmer. Add the oysters and their liquor and poach until barely done, 5–7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Add the remaining half-and-half if the soup is too thick. Ladle the soup into two bowls and serve with a generous tablespoon of Lemon-Parsley Pesto in the center of each.
Lemon-Parsley Pesto
1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
½–1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
In the jar of a food processor, combine the parsley with the garlic, olive oil, butter, and salt; pulse until almost smooth and scrape into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice to taste. Set aside.
This chowder is so satisfying, few people will guess it’s also quick and easy to make, especially if you have leftover cooked salmon and corn. If not, it takes about 9 minutes to cook a slice of salmon, and frozen corn kernels work very well. Many take-out departments also sell cooked salmon.
1½ cups defrosted or fresh corn kernels, cooked
½ cup light cream or half-and-half
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped (½ cup)
1 cup bottled clam broth or fish stock
1 teaspoon sugar
⅓ cup poblano chile, seeds and membranes removed, chopped
½ jalapeño pepper, seeds and membranes removed, finely chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped dill leaves, plus a little to add before serving
4 ounces cooked salmon, broken into small pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a food processor, purée 1 cup of the corn with the light cream until smooth. Set aside.
In a medium-size saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until wilted, 3–4 minutes. Stir in the puréed corn-cream mixture, the clam broth or fish stock, and the sugar; simmer for 2–3 minutes.
Stir in the remaining corn, poblano chile, jalapeño if using, and dill. Bring to a gentle simmer, add the salmon, and cook until the fish is heated through, 2–3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the chowder into heated bowls, sprinkle on the remaining dill, and serve.
Native Americans have given us many culinary gifts, including clambakes from tribes in New England and this soupy stew, known as posole (or pozole), from the tribes who roamed the Southwest before Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World. It uses hominy made with dried corn kernels with the hulls and germ removed.
My friend Pam Harding introduced me to this version using shrimp. My neighbor Mark Melton, who studied Spanish for a year in Cuernavaca, said the soup is typically made with oxtail or pork in that region. He says the garnishes—thinly sliced white cabbage, radishes, and the optional avocado—elevate the soup to make it his favorite dish.
2 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 canned chipotle chile en adobo
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (½ cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups chicken stock
1 (14-ounce) can hominy, preferably white, rinsed and drained
½ cup fresh, defrosted, or canned corn kernels
½ teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces peeled and deveined large shrimp
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
1 tablespoon each: thinly sliced radishes and cabbage, for garnish
Diced avocado for garnish (optional)
1 lime, quartered
Bring a small pot of water to a boil; add the tomatillos, boil gently until soft, about 8 minutes, and drain. In the jar of an electric blender, combine the tomatillos and chipotle and purée until smooth.
Meanwhile, in a medium-size saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onion is soft, 3–4 minutes. Sprinkle on the coriander and cumin and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatillo-chipotle mixture, stock, hominy, corn, and oregano; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, and cook for 10 minutes longer.
Add the shrimp, cover, and cook until done, 3–4 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve in shallow soup bowls. Add the radishes, cabbage, remaining cilantro leaves, and diced avocado if using. Squeeze on fresh lime juice to taste, and serve.
Combine fresh mango and coconut milk with Thai red curry paste, ginger, and lemon grass; purée it into a smooth soup with shrimp and fresh mango salsa; and you’re in for a luxurious soup with a haunting, hot-sweet taste. (See the sidebar for how to cut up a mango.)
When buying Thai curry paste, like many ethnic ingredients, I opt for brands imported from the appropriate country. Domestic brands tend to be milder, or the flavors are altered for an American audience. Adjust the amount of curry paste in this recipe to your tolerance for heat.
1 large mango, peeled and chopped (about 1 ¼ cups; ¼ cup reserved for salsa)
1 cup mango nectar, preferably aseptically packaged
1 cup canned coconut milk, not “lite” variety
½ teaspoon Thai red curry paste, or to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh lemongrass (see the sidebar “Using Fresh Lemongrass” here)
1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
10–12 large shrimp, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dark rum
For the salsa:
¼ cup mango
¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely julienned basil
½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
In the jar of an electric blender, combine ¾ cup mango, the mango nectar, coconut milk, curry paste, lemongrass, ginger root, and brown sugar; purée until completely smooth. Pour the soup through a strainer into a bowl, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
In a skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté until just pink and cooked through, 2–3 minutes, turning frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour in the rum and cook over high heat for 30 seconds. Scrape into the soup.
Cut the remaining ¼ cup of mango into fine cubes. In a small bowl, combine it with the red pepper, basil, and lime juice. Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with the salsa, and serve.
Peeling and Cutting Up a Mango
Start by buying a mango with a little give in it, to be sure it’s ripe. Figure out which is the flat side of the mango; it corresponds with the wide side of the large seed inside. Stand the mango on one end. With a sharp paring knife, cut off one flat side as close to the seed as possible, making a large “cheek.” Turn and cut off the other side along the seed. Pare away the remaining flesh around the edges in crescent shapes. Make crisscross cuts in the flesh, turn the skin inside out, and cut across the mango to slice it into nice cubes. Alternatively, once the mango cheeks are removed from the seed, you can scoop out the flesh with a large spoon and cut it into small cubes afterward.
What a great way to celebrate the bounty of the sea: succulent mussels, sweet scallops, shrimp, and cod (or monkfish) poached in a fragrant, creamy broth. Of course, you can change the ingredients—use clams for mussels, lobster for shrimp, and the amount of cream to your taste. This chowder is rich but not heavy. You could also use all light cream or all milk. Savor the best and freshest seafood available.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped (⅓ cup)
1 small carrot, finely chopped (¼ cup)
½ medium celery rib, finely chopped (¼ cup)
1 sprig thyme
½ bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup medium dry white wine
¾ cup bottled clam broth
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup heavy cream
1 medium-small Yukon Gold potato cut in ½-inch cubes (¾ cup)
8 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
4 ounces cod or monkfish fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces bay or quartered sea scallops
6–8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
In a deep, medium-size pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Stir in the onion, carrot, celery, thyme, and bay leaf; cover and sweat over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender, 8–10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Pour in the wine and boil for a minute; stir in the clam broth, milk, and cream. Add the potatoes and simmer until they are almost tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 8 minutes.
Add the mussels, cod or monkfish, scallops, and shrimp. Simmer until all the shells are open and the fish and shellfish are just cooked through, 5–7 minutes. Remove the thyme and bay leaf, taste to adjust the seasoning, add the cayenne if desired. Discard any mussels that have not opened. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle on the parsley, and serve.
CHINESE NOODLE SOUP WITH SHRIMP
This is my version of Chinese noodle soup with snow peas, carrots, and mushrooms accompanied by noodles. Since it isn’t really classic, you could add whatever you like and make the broth as spicy as you like. Sometimes I add six ounces of peeled and deveined large shrimp along with the snow peas to the broth as it simmers. Add hot chile sauce if you like spicy soup. Fresh Chinese-style noodles are available in the refrigerated section of supermarkets, or use dried noodles.
½ cup cooked Chinese-style noodles (2 ounces)
1½ teaspoons canola or other vegetable oil
½ cup stemmed and thickly sliced shiitake or cremini mushrooms
3 (⅛ -inch-thick) slices peeled ginger root, cut into thin matchsticks (about 1 tablespoon)
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1½ cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ cup sliced scallions, including white and light green parts (2 scallions), a few slices reserved for garnish
1 small carrot, sliced (¼ cup)
¼ cup sliced canned water chestnuts
⅓ cup snow peas, strings removed, cut on the bias into thirds
2 teaspoons spicy or plain sesame oil
1–2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Hot chile sauce, to taste (optional)
In a small saucepan, cook the noodles in boiling water until just tender, about 3 minutes if already soft, or longer if dried. Drain and set aside.
In a medium-size saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Stir in the mushrooms and ginger and cook until the mushrooms are wilted, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic, cook for 30 seconds; then pour in the stock, stirring up any browned cooking bits. Add the hoisin sauce and soy sauce and bring to a simmer.
Add the scallions, carrots, and water chestnuts, cook for 3 minutes, then add the snow peas and simmer about 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved noodles, add the sesame oil and lime juice to taste. Stir about half of the cilantro into the soup. Add hot chile sauce to taste, ladle the soup into bowls, and serve with the remaining cilantro and scallion slices sprinkled on top.
