’Tis an old pirate trick, ’tis. There be nothin’ like a deep bowl of chowder to warm th’ bones when th’ wind howls from th’ nor’east.
But with International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept. 19) well astern of us, we’ll now return to our regularly scheduled vocabulary. The fact remains that seafood dishes can be great warmers as the weather gets colder.
And, the miracle of air freight puts even land-lovers only a day away from fishing boats that just landed at the docks — and most of these recipes work just as well with frozen or even canned seafood. (We recommend staying fresh with the mussels in the Billy Bi Soup.)
Cream of mussel (Billy Bi) soup
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 small bunch of parsley
1 bay leaf
3 pounds small cultivated mussels (about 60)
2 cups dry white wine
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks, optional (see note)
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Freshly ground white pepper
French bread
Place the thyme, parsley and bay leaf on a square of cheesecloth; tie together the corners of the cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni.
Wash the mussels. Sort through them and throw out any dead ones. Combine the wine, shallots and bouquet garni in a 6-quart pot. Cover the pot; simmer for 5 minutes. Add the mussels, cover the pot, and turn the heat to high. Steam the mussels until they open, about 6 minutes. Let them cool slightly; scoop them out with a slotted spoon and remove the meat from the shells. Set aside the meat from the mussels. Remove and discard the bouquet garni.
If the liquid in the pot contains sand, strain it through a coffee filter, a triple layer of cheesecloth or a cloth napkin (rinsed first to eliminate bleach or chemicals) or pour the liquid from one container to another, leaving behind sand each time.
Combine the heavy cream with the egg yolks; whisk to combine thoroughly. Bring the cooking liquid from the mussels to a simmer in a 2-quart pot. Whisk the simmering liquid into the cream/egg yolk mixture; pour the mixture into the pot. Place over medium heat; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon. Be sure to reach into the corners of the saucepan. Do not let the soup boil, or the egg yolks will curdle. The yolks thicken the soup very slightly, giving it a silky texture; don’t wait for a dramatic thickening, or you’re liable to curdle the soup. (A thermometer will register 175 degrees when the soup is done.) Return the mussels to the pot; let them heat through.
Add chopped chives; grind in fresh white pepper, then serve with slices of crusty French bread.
Note: If you omit the egg yolks, you can bring the soup to a simmer. For a tangy accent, shred a handful of sorrel leaves and add them just before serving. Peeled, seeded and chopped fresh tomatoes also can be added to round out the flavors and to provide color. Yield: 6 servings.
Adapted from “Splendid Soups,” by James Peterson (Bantam Books, $45).
Seafood Casserole
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup fish stock or bottled clam juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 pound shrimp, peeled
1/2 pound sea scallops, halved
1/2 pound haddock or cod, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 to 8 ounces lobster meat, cut into serving pieces
1/3 cup freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup Cracker Crumb Mixture (see following recipe)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small, nonreactive saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat; whisk in the flour. Return the pan to the stove and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the flour is cooked through. Remove from the heat; pour in the fish stock. Return the pan to the stove and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a light sauce forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cream; cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is the thickness you prefer. (This is a light, thin sauce, designed to baste the fish as it bakes.) Set the sauce aside.
Place shrimp, scallops and haddock in a buttered baking dish just large enough to hold them. Pour the sauce over the fish. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven; tilt the dish so that you can spoon up the cooking juices, and use them to baste the fish. Add the lobster. Sprinkle with the cheese, then top with the crumb mixture. Return the dish to the oven and bake until the crumbs are lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Yield: 4 servings.
Adapted from “Legal Sea Foods Cookbook,” by Roger Berkowitz and Jane Doerfer (Broadway, $26).
Cracker crumb mixture
4 ounces oyster crackers or saltines
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted, divided
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Whirl the crackers in a food processor or blender until they are evenly ground but retain some texture. Transfer to a bowl. Saute onion until softened in 1 tablespoon butter; add to the crumbs. Add the remaining 7 tablespoons butter, parsley and thyme. Mix thoroughly.
Cover leftovers and refrigerate, then microwave for 5 to 10 seconds before using. Yield: About 2 cups.
Adapted from “Legal Sea Foods Cookbook.”
Layered fish chowder
4 ounces meaty salt pork, rind removed and thinly sliced, or 4 ounces sliced bacon, each strip cut crosswise in half (see note)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 large onions (about 18 ounces), sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon chopped fresh summer savory or thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 pound Yukon Gold or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled and sliced as thinly as possible
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds skinless baby cod or haddock fillets, no more than 3/4 inch thick, pinbones removed (see note)
4 Pilot crackers or 2 ounces oyster crackers, crumbled (1 heaping cup)
4 to 5 cups fish stock, chicken stock or water
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a 10-inch skillet or saute pan, fry the salt pork or bacon over medium heat until browned and crisp. Remove and set aside the meat, leaving the fat in the pan.
Add butter, onions, savory or thyme, bay leaves, cloves and nutmeg to the pan; saute, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are tender, but not browned. Remove from heat; let cool.
To build the chowder, place one-third of the onion mixture (including the fat) in the bottom of a Dutch oven or braising pan. Arrange half of the sliced potatoes over the onions; season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange half the fish over the potatoes; season lightly with salt and pepper. Scatter half the crackers over the fish. Repeat the layers, then finish with the remaining onions.
Place the Dutch oven over medium heat and pour the fish stock over the layers. Stick the handle of a wooden spoon through to the bottom in three or four places to be sure the stock circulates around the ingredients. Heat the pot until the stock is hot and steam begins to appear on the surface.
Cover the chowder, place in the oven, and cook for 30 minutes. Check for doneness by taking a potato slice from the top layer. It should be firm and nearly cooked through. If not, cover the pot and return to the oven for 5 or 10 minutes.
Pour the cream into the chowder, then top with the slices of salt pork or bacon. Bake, uncovered, until the creamy broth is lightly browned around the edges, about 15 minutes.
Present the chowder at the table, before you stir it, then stir it and season with salt and pepper if needed. Use a slotted spoon to place the chunks of fish, onions and potatoes in the center of large soup plates or shallow bowls. Put 1 piece of salt pork or bacon on top of each serving, ladle the creamy broth around the fish, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Yield: 8 servings.
Note: To slice salt pork, freeze partially. If you are unable to find small fish fillets, slice larger fillets in half horizontally.
Adapted from “50 Chowders,” by Jasper White (Scribner, $30).
Cream of mussel (Billy Bi) soup
