This quick, simple soup works wonderfully with all sorts of local seafood, so throw in whatever is readily available.
Ingredients
- 300ml/10½fl oz
white wine - 1kg/2lb 4oz mixed
shellfish, such as cockles, clams, mussels and winkles, cleaned and soaked in cold water - 50g/1¾oz unsalted
butter - 1
shallot, finely chopped - 1
garlic clove, finely chopped - 1
fennel bulb, finely chopped - ½
leek, white part only, finely chopped - 250g/9oz
waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm/¼in cubes - 2 pinches
saffron strands - 1
star anise - 500ml/18 fl oz
chicken stock - 175ml/6fl oz
double cream - 75g/2½oz
samphire - 2 ripe
tomatoes, skin and seeds removed - 12 shelled cooked
whelks - 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh
chives - handful
celery leaves, finely chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation method
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Bring the wine to the boil in a large lidded saucepan. Add the shellfish, cover the pan with the lid, reduce the heat until the wine is simmering, and simmer the shellfish for 3-5 minutes, or until all the shells have opened (discard any that do not open).
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Drain the shellfish, reserving the cooking liquor in a bowl. When the shellfish is cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the shells.
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Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until softened. Add the fennel, leek, potatoes, saffron and star anise and fry for a further 1-2 minutes.
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Add the reserved cooking liquor and the chicken stock and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the potato cubes are just tender.
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Add the cream and samphire and continue to simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until the soup has thickened slightly. Reduce the heat to low, then add the tomatoes and shellfish meat, including the whelks. Heat until the meat is warmed through.
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Stir in the chives and celery leaves, season, to taste, with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, then serve.
Top recipe tip
Tip 1: If you are using clams and mussels, remove the beards before cooking. Discard any shellfish whose shells do not open during cooking.
Tip 2: To remove the tomato skins, make a cross in the bottom of the tomatoes, place them into boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer to ice-cold water; the skins should loosen enough to be pulled off.
