Valencia rice with squid and mussels and clams, thai mussel soup, stuffed clams/mussels.
All recipes serve four
VALENCIA RICE WITH SQUID AND MUSSELS AND CLAMS
1kg mussels, cleaned and scrubbed (or 50/50 mix of mussels and clams)
olive oil
750g squid, cleaned and cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400g Valencia rice (alternatively use Arborio rice)
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 litre chicken stock, simmering
pinch of saffron (threads or powder), dissolved in a little hot water
1 tbsp chopped parsley
2 lemons, halved
Put the mussels into a saucepan over a medium heat. Put the lid on and shake well. The mussels take four to five minutes to open. Remove the lid and set the mussels aside to cool.
Heat four tablespoons of olive oil in a casserole dish. Season the squid with salt and saute for five minutes. Add the garlic and and rice and, still stirring, saute for two minutes before adding the tomatoes and the hot stock. Bring back to the boil, stir once and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile remove most of the mussels from the shells, leaving a dozen or so for decoration. Any mussels that have not opened should be discarded. Strain the liquor from the saucepan, taking care to leave any grit behind. Add the strained liquor and the mussels and the saffron to the rice two minutes before the end of the 20-minute simmering time. Check the seasoning. Stir in the parsley and serve with a wedge of lemon.
THAI MUSSEL SOUP
1 400g tin of coconut milk
2 sticks lemongrass, outer leaves removed and then smashed
2cm piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
1 chilli
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp finely sliced shallots
1 tsp turmeric
1 kg mussels, well washed and beards removed
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
bunch coriander, roughly chopped
Open the tin of coconut milk without shaking it. Spoon out the thick cream at the top and set aside. Pour the remains of the tin into a wok or large saucepan and add a canful of water. Add the lemongrass, ginger, chilli, garlic, shallots, turmeric and one tablespoon of the fish sauce and bring to the boil. Simmer for five minutes. Add the mussels, cover the wok or pan and bring back to the boil. Simmer until the mussels open, which should be about five minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat and stir in two tablespoons of the reserved coconut paste. Season with the remaining fish sauce (you may need a little more) and the lime juice. You are aiming for a richness in the broth, but also a contrasting acidity. If it is too rich, you'll end up tasting coconut milk and not much else. Finally, season with salt if required and scatter the coriander over the top.
STUFFED CLAMS/MUSSELS
1kg mussels/clams, well rinsed
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
zest of 2 lemons
4 tbsp bread crumbs
olive oil
extra lemons for serving
Place the mussels or clams in a large covered pan over a high heat and steam until just opened. If you leave them too long, they will dry out. Remove the pan from the heat, take off the lid and allow it to cool.
Remove the empty half shell from each mussel and discard. Place the full halves on a shallow baking tray. Combine the garlic, parsley and lemon zest and spoon a little into each mussel. Season with salt and pepper, top with the bread crumbs and liberally douse everything with olive oil. You will probably need a couple of trays to hold all the shells.
Preheat the grill and cook the shellfish until golden brown and bubbling. Serve with extra lemon for squeezing on top.