Ingredients
Serves 4-62 tbs butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
200g streaky bacon, diced
200ml white wine
250ml chicken stock
1 large potato, peeled & diced
200ml pure cream
16 fresh mussels
16 fresh clams
1 tbs chopped onion
4 sprigs fresh thyme
100ml white wine
4x180 g salmon fillets
Olive oil for frying
1 tomato, skinned, seeded and diced
6 spears asparagus, sliced in small pieces
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped finely
Method
Melt butter in a medium sized pot. Sauté onion and bacon till soft then add wine and boil until syrupy.
Add stock and potatoes to pot and simmer for 10 minutes until potatoes are just tender. Stir in cream, bring to the boil then remove from the heat and keep warm.
Meanwhile, steam the mussels and clams in a separate preheated covered pot with the onion, thyme and wine.
The second they pop open, strain into a colander, adding the retained juices to the ‘chowder’. Remove meat from shells leaving some of each in the shells for presentation.
To cook the salmon, heat a non stick pan, moisten with a little oil and place salmon fillets in pan skin side down. Cook for 5 minutes then turn and allow to ‘kiss’ the heat on the other side. Remove from the heat, allowing the residual heat in the pan to complete the cooking - the salmon should remain pink in the center.
While salmon is finishing, reheat sauce add mussels, clams, tomato, asparagus and parsley arrange neatly in 4 bowl plates. Place salmon fillet on top to serve.
Notes:
The base for the salmon, the ‘chowder’ is a terrific meal in itself - make it in advance, adding the tomato, asparagus and parsley at the last moment
To successfully cook mussels or clams, the covered pot must be incandescently hot. Try adding them into a pan with no aromatics for a few moments then add a splash of wine. The release of steam will shock the bivalves open immediately!!
To successfully cook mussels or clams, the covered pot must be incandescently hot. Try adding them into a pan with no aromatics for a few moments then add a splash of wine. The release of steam will shock the bivalves open immediately!!