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Seafood Soup

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on March 27, 2020

Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 6

Italian Name:

Brodetto all'anconetana

Seafood Soup

Ingredients

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling2 large onions, chopped fineSalt and pepper 4 garlic cloves, minced⅛ to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained with juice reserved, chopped coarse1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice ¾ cup water 1 pound squid, bodies sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick rings, tentacles left whole, patted dry1 (1-pound) skinless halibut fillet, ¾ to 1 inch thick, cut into 6 pieces1¼ cups dry white wine 12 countneck clams, scrubbed12 mussels, scrubbed and debearded8 ounces large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Before You Begin

Trim any squid tentacles longer than 3 inches. Serve with crusty bread.

Instructions

  1. Heat ¼ cup oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and reserved juice, clam juice, and water and bring to simmer. Stir in squid, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
  2. Nestle halibut into broth, cover, and cook until fish registers 135 to 140 degrees, 10 to 14 minutes. Off heat, transfer halibut to plate with slotted spoon; cover to keep warm and set aside.
  3. Bring wine and remaining ¼ cup oil to boil in 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add clams, cover, and cook, shaking skillet occasionally, until clams have just opened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer clams to large bowl, discarding any that haven't opened, and cover to keep warm. Add mussels to skillet with wine mixture and cook, shaking skillet occasionally, until mussels have just opened, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer mussels to bowl with clams, discarding any that haven't opened, and cover to keep warm.
  4. Pour cooking liquid from skillet into pot, being careful not to pour any grit from skillet into pot. Return broth to simmer over medium heat. Add shrimp, cover, and cook until just opaque, about 2 minutes.
  5. Off heat, stir in clam-mussel mixture and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide halibut, clams, mussels, squid, and shrimp among individual serving bowls. Ladle broth over top. Drizzle with extra oil before serving.
Seafood Soup
Photography by Carl Tremblay. Styling by Kendra McKnight.

Seafood Soup

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 6

Italian Name:

Brodetto all'anconetana

Ingredients

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 large onions, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained with juice reserved, chopped coarse
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
¾ cup water
1 pound squid, bodies sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick rings, tentacles left whole, patted dry
1 (1-pound) skinless halibut fillet, ¾ to 1 inch thick, cut into 6 pieces
1¼ cups dry white wine
12 countneck clams, scrubbed
12 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
8 ounces large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Ingredients

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 large onions, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained with juice reserved, chopped coarse
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
¾ cup water
1 pound squid, bodies sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick rings, tentacles left whole, patted dry
1 (1-pound) skinless halibut fillet, ¾ to 1 inch thick, cut into 6 pieces
1¼ cups dry white wine
12 countneck clams, scrubbed
12 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
8 ounces large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Ingredients

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 large onions, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained with juice reserved, chopped coarse
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
¾ cup water
1 pound squid, bodies sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick rings, tentacles left whole, patted dry
1 (1-pound) skinless halibut fillet, ¾ to 1 inch thick, cut into 6 pieces
1¼ cups dry white wine
12 countneck clams, scrubbed
12 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
8 ounces large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

Jutting into the Adriatic Sea, Ancona, the capital city of Le Marche, has a vibrant maritime culture. A trademark dish, brodetto all'anconetana , is a seafood lover's dream and has long served as a way for fishermen to use the bycatch remaining after selling the day's haul. Though once a humble dish of seafood scraps, the soup has evolved from fisherman fare to regional delicacy. Showcasing the diversity of the seafood found off the coast, traditional recipes are prepared with 13 types—one for each attendee of the Last Supper. Mediterranean flavors of tomatoes, onions, parsley, garlic, vinegar, and oil meld to create a bright, complex broth, anointed with more fruity olive oil. We wanted to remain true to the spirit of the original dish, but we also hoped to make our soup with a more reasonable number of ingredients. Our seafood choices provide a good mix of textures and flavors. For the fish, halibut fillets were tender and had just enough heft so they didn't flake apart. For the cephalopod component, we chose squid over octopus for its milder taste and attainability. Finally, for the shellfish, a combination of briny littleneck clams, savory mussels, and sweet shrimp provided the diversity we sought. We cooked the seafood in a careful sequence to ensure plump and tender results: First, we simmered the squid in the Dutch oven until it was two-thirds done. Halibut was next, which we cooked until it reached 135 degrees. To prevent the shrimp from overcooking, we added them to the simmering broth just 2 minutes before serving. Finally, we steamed the clams and mussels in a separate pan, removing them as they opened to ensure ideal doneness for each. For a spicier soup, use more red pepper flakes.

Before You Begin

Trim any squid tentacles longer than 3 inches. Serve with crusty bread.

Instructions

  1. Heat ¼ cup oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and reserved juice, clam juice, and water and bring to simmer. Stir in squid, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
  2. Nestle halibut into broth, cover, and cook until fish registers 135 to 140 degrees, 10 to 14 minutes. Off heat, transfer halibut to plate with slotted spoon; cover to keep warm and set aside.
  3. Bring wine and remaining ¼ cup oil to boil in 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add clams, cover, and cook, shaking skillet occasionally, until clams have just opened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer clams to large bowl, discarding any that haven't opened, and cover to keep warm. Add mussels to skillet with wine mixture and cook, shaking skillet occasionally, until mussels have just opened, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer mussels to bowl with clams, discarding any that haven't opened, and cover to keep warm.
  4. Pour cooking liquid from skillet into pot, being careful not to pour any grit from skillet into pot. Return broth to simmer over medium heat. Add shrimp, cover, and cook until just opaque, about 2 minutes.
  5. Off heat, stir in clam-mussel mixture and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide halibut, clams, mussels, squid, and shrimp among individual serving bowls. Ladle broth over top. Drizzle with extra oil before serving.

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