Quick Zuppa di Pesche

Fresh Mussels

With a little help from our excellent homemade Lobster Stock, you can turn out a deeply flavored, traditional Italian fish soup in only half an hour. While the broth is simmering, you can prep the seafood and the ciabatta bread toasts. This is one of the most satisfying, sustaining soups you will ever experience - the perfect thing to take the chill off in late fall or winter. The broth is rich and heady, the fish sweet and light. If you don't mind shelling the clams and mussels before you serve it, this soup can even be called "refined." The ciabatta toasts drink in the tasty juices and add a little crunch and body to the finished dish.

Ingredients:

¼ cup Agata & Valentina extra virgin olive oil

2 lg. garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 lg. shallots, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 14 oz. can San Marzano peeled tomatoes, chopped (use only half)

1 14 oz. container A & V homemade Lobster Stock (+ a little extra if needed)

1 tbs. each finely chopped fresh rosemary and fresh thyme

4 pepperoncini (small, whole dried chile peppers) chopped fine (optional)

6 Jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/3 lb. cleaned calamari, cut into rings

½ lb. New Zealand cockles or Manila clams, rinsed

½ lb. mussels, rinsed

2/3 lb. monkfish, cut into small, 1 inch chunks

6 slices A & V Ciabatta bread

1 whole garlic clove + 1 tbs. e.v. oil + sea salt and pepper for seasoning bread

fresh chopped Italian parsley and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Sweat garlic, shallots and onions in oil over medium/low heat in a deep heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, stirring frequently, until softened but not colored. Add tomatoes, lobster stock, rosemary, thyme and pepperoncini and simmer for at least half and hour over medium/low heat. Add more lobster stock if broth evaporates too much.

In the meantime cut 6 ¼” thick slices of our ciabatta bread. Rub each slice with the garlic clove, then sprinkle with a little e.v. olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake in a 350 oven for about 5 minutes, until golden on both sides. Cut each Ciabatta slab in half and set aside.

Once broth is fragrant and tasty, add cockles/clams and mussels. Cover and steam 2 minutes until shells open. Remove shellfish with slotted spoon and let cool a bit. If you wish, remove meat from shells and discard shells.

Lightly sprinkle remaining seafood with sea salt and add to broth, cover and cook 4 minutes. Put cockles/clams and mussels back in for a second, stir around and turn off heat.
To Plate:
Place one ciabatta half in bottom of each serving bowl. Add large spoonful of cooked fish and place another ciabatta crouton on top. Ladle generous portion of seafood broth over all and sprinkle with parsley and freshly ground black pepper to taste.