To top off a wonderful week of Sharks, I wanted to make something that would really satisfy.  I decided to make my own spin on Bouillabaisse, a traditional French dish involving lots of seafood.  You know what eats a lot of seafood (other than me)? Sharks.  Seafood is shark food, too.  Might as well dub it “Shark Food Soup” in honor of our jagged–toothed friends that we are celebrating this week. This was my magnum opus of Shark Week recipes, and I hope you’ll agree (the recipe was inspired by a old French cook book I received from The Russian’s mother).  I swear it’s not as hard to make as it looks! The only thing is, it’s a bit expensive for all the seafood.  In total, The Russian and I spent about $35–$40 for the ingredients.  There was plenty leftover, however, and it was delicious. Well worth it it o drop a few more dollars when celebrating Shark Week. It only comes one week a year, after all.

Ingredients:

2 Leeks  [$2]

Celery hearts [$2]

Carrots [$2]

1 28 oz can tomatoes in juice [$3]

1 small can tomato paste [$1]

2 8 oz bottles clam juice [$5]

1/2 lb cod filet [$5]

1/2 lb littleneck clams (about 7) [$3]

1 lb mussels (a lot of mussels) [$4]

1/2 lb shrimp [$4]

bottle white wine [$10]

baguette (optional, but you’ll want it to sop up the juices) [$3]

Directions:

I shredded the leeks, carrots, and celery with some garlic in a food processor, but it was slow going, so i recommend just using the blade to finely mince the mirepoix. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the veggies and sweat for 5 minutes.

Add tomato paste, and then I added dried thyme, Tabasco sauce, paprika, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf. I also added some saffron, which is a pretty expensive spice, but I (of course) got a deal on it while I was in Spain.  About $7 for a really nice–sized container.  Here, it should be around $15.  I know it’s pricey, but trust me, it makes a huge difference.  Only use about 15 threads in the soup. Let that cook for about a minute, then add the wine to deglaze and let cook for about 5 minutes, then the clam juice, and a little extra chicken stock if desired. Let simmer for 10 minutes to let some flavors develop.

Cut the cod into 1–inch pieces and clean the clams by rinsing them in cold water until there is no grit on the shells (most supermarkets have cleaned clams already). Add to the pot, and let simmer, partially covered, for 5 minutes.  Add the shrimp, and mussels (cleaned as well, of course) and cook for another 5 minutes.

Top with fresh parsley (optional) and serve with baguette, if desired.

Curl up with a bowl of this and some Shark Week specials on this rainy day, and all will be right with the world.

-L