Winter is prime shellfish season in the British Isles, so it never ceases to amaze me that we don’t make a bigger fuss of this brilliant native produce over the Christmas period. It’s also incredibly easy and quick to cook, making it a great choice for feeding a crowd, whether that’s in the form of traditional moules marinière (crusty bread obligatory), grilled scallops (ideally topped with garlic butter, parsley, a splash of white wine or vermouth, and a few breadcrumbs; you can thank me later) or a no-fuss chowder; even the no-bake clam pizzas below are way less work than you’d ever expect. So let’s get shucking.
Mussel chowder (pictured above)
The joy of chowders lies not just in their incredible flavour – plump shellfish, salty bacon, rich, creamy broth: what’s not to like? – but in the fact that they’re so damned easy to scale up or down, depending on how many people you have around. Keep a big pot of the soup warm on a very low heat, stick a ladle in the middle of the pot, have a pile of bowls and some good crusty bread next to the stove, and leave everyone to help themselves. I especially love this with fried bread and lots of parsley.
Prep 15 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 4
1kg live mussels
1 glass (175ml) white wine
50g butter
1 small white onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
100g smoked bacon, finely chopped
75ml dry sherry
1 tbsp flour
300ml milk
300ml double cream
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into roughly 15mm dice
1 big handful curly parsley, chopped, to finish
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Tabasco, to season and finish
Put a large pot on a medium-high heat, add the mussels and wine, cover and leave for three or four minutes, shaking the pan every now and then, until they all steam open (discard any that don’t). Take off the heat, leave to cool, then pick the meat from the shells (which can now be discarded), and set aside with the cooking liquor.
Melt the butter in a second large pot on a medium heat, then gently fry the onion and garlic for 10 or so minutes, until soft but not coloured. Add the bacon and saute, stirring, until just starting to crisp at the edges. Add the sherry, leave to bubble until the alcohol’s boiled off, then stir in the flour and cook out, still stirring, for a couple of minutes more. Slowly add the milk and cream, stir to combine, then add the potatoes and cook on a medium-low heat for 15 minutes, just until they are soft. Add the picked mussels and their cooking juices, simmer for a couple of minutes to warm through, then stir in the parsley. Season with white pepper and Tabasco to taste, and add salt only if needed.
No-bake pizza ‘claminara’
The idea for this dish was inspired by Pizza Pilgrims in London, which launched a brilliant at-home pizza kit during lockdown that included a short YouTube video on how to make pizza in a frying pan. I thought it was genius, and even more so when I found out it worked. If you prefer folded pizza, just fold it over before cooking and enjoy a “clamzone” instead.
Prep 15 min
Prove 2 hr+
Cook 45 min
Serves 4
For the dough
500g strong, white bread flour
325g tepid water
7g dried yeast
1 tbsp olive oil
5g salt
5g sugar
For the sauce
1kg live clams
100ml white wine
1 bay leaf
1 peperoncino, or 1 dried red chilli
20g butter
20g flour
200ml milk
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 handful curly parsley, chopped
1-2 tsp grated parmesan
1 x 125-150g mozzarella ball, roughly torn into smallish pieces
Put the flour, water, yeast, olive oil, salt and sugar in a bowl, and mix with your hands until it all comes together into a dough. Tip out on a lightly floured work surface and knead for about five minutes, until the dough is nice and elastic. Return to the bowl, cover and leave to rest for about an hour to an hour and a half, until doubled in size.
Once the dough has proved, knock it back on a floured worktop, divide into four and pinch and shape each portion into a neat ball. Cover again with a towel, and leave to prove for another 30 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Put a large saucepan on a medium-high heat, add the clams, wine, bay and chilli, cover and steam for two or three minutes, until all the clams have opened (discard any that haven’t). Take off the heat, leave to cool, then pick the meat from the shells (these can now be discarded) and set aside with the cooking liquor.
Melt the butter in a small pan, then stir in the flour until the mix thickens and forms a roux. Mix the clam juices and milk in a jug or bowl, then pour into the roux and cook, stirring, for three to four minutes, until you have a thick white sauce. Grate in the garlic, stir in the parsley and simmer for another three or four minutes, until the sauce is smooth, creamy and quite thick. Off the heat, stir in the clam meat.
On a lightly floured surface, either by hand or with a rolling pin, shape each ball of dough into a disc big enough to fit your frying pan (you’ll need a heavy-based, ovenproof one). With your hands, push up a slightly raised rim all around the edge. Meanwhile, set the ovenproof frying pan over a high heat and, once it’s good and hot, lay in one round of dough. Spread the clam sauce liberally over the top and up to but not over the rim, then sprinkle over some parmesan and dot liberally with mozzarella. Leave to cook in the hot pan for four to five minutes, until the base is crisp and the edges start to rise. Meanwhile, heat the grill to high.
Transfer the pan to the hot grill and cook for two or three minutes, until the edges rise and blister and the cheese melts and browns. When your pizza looks full of appeal, take it out and serve. Repeat with the remaining dough and sauce, until you’re full or until you run out of both.
