Salmon With Shellfish Minestrone

• servings: 4
• total time: 1 hour?

Ingredients

For the shellfish broth (or use fish broth)

10 oz mussels

10 oz cockles or littleneck clams

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 rib celery, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 shallot, roughly chopped

1 sprig lemon thyme

1 lemon

Kosher salt

1½ cups dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc)

2 cups unsalted chicken stock

Fennel fronds

For the vegetables and pasta

1 small zucchini, diced into ¼-inch pieces

1 small bulb fennel with fronds, diced into ¼-inch pieces, fronds reserved

⅔ cup fresh English peas (or frozen and thawed)

⅔ cup canned white beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup elbow macaroni (for a gluten-free option, use a wheat-free pasta)

For the salmon

4 center-cut salmon fillets (4.5 to 5 oz each), deboned with skin on

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Directions

Make the shellfish broth. Scrub the mussels and cockles (or clams) well under cold running water for 10 minutes, draining the water as needed. Remove the beards from the mussels, and discard any open shells. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the mirepoix (celery, carrot, and shallot), thyme, and 1 lemon slice, reserving the rest of the lemon for later. Season with salt, and sweat for 30 seconds. Add the shellfish, cover the pot with a lid, and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine, cover, and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, cover, and increase the heat to high, cooking for 5 to 7 minutes, until the shellfish open. Strain the broth into a bowl, then pour the broth into a clean pot. Remove the shellfish from the shells and place them in a bowl, discarding any shells that did not open. Set aside.

Cook the vegetables and pasta. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Blanch the vegetables for 2 minutes. Quickly remove the vegetables with a hand sieve or slotted spoon, and rinse under cold water. Drain and reserve the vegetables in a bowl, then add the beans. Into the pot of boiling water, add the pasta and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until just al dente. Strain the pasta into a colander, rinsing with cold water to both stop the cooking and remove the starch. Add the pasta to the vegetables and beans.

Cook the salmon. Score the skin of the salmon. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and gently place the salmon into the pan, skin side down. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the fish to rest on a plate while you assemble the soup.

Bring the pot of shellfish broth back to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the fennel fronds and zest from the reserved lemon. Add the shellfish, vegetables, beans, and pasta, and cook gently, just to warm through. Season to taste with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Ladle the minestrone into the center of a bowl. Place the salmon on top, skin side up, and drizzle with olive oil.

Notes

Gordan Ramsey Master Class