Wild Alaska Pollock with Manila Clams and Vegetables in Broth

Wild Alaska Pollock with Manila Clams and Vegetables in Broth, created by Chef in the Hat

Ingredients

1 cup freshly shelled or thawed frozen petite peas

1 cup carrots diced

1 cup of parsnip diced

1 cup dry white wine

1 minced shallot

1/2 teaspoon minced thyme

32 Manila clams, scrubbed

2 cup chicken stock or vegetable broth

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounce Wild Alaska Pollock fillet

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 2 ounces pepper cress, tender watercress, or baby arugula, rinsed, dried, and trimmed, large leaves torn in pieces

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced chives

*Diced rendered bacon would be a nice addition to this dish

 

Directions

Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil and prepare a medium bowl of ice water. Add the peas to the boiling water and cook just until tender but still bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well and immediately put them in the ice water to quickly cool. Drain and set aside. Repeat this operation with the carrot & parsnip.

Combine the wine, shallot, and thyme in a large saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 2 minutes. Add the clams, cover the pan, and cook until the clams have opened, shaking the pan gently once or twice, 5 to 7 minutes total. Begin checking for opened, cooked clams after the first minute, scooping them out with a slotted spoon into a medium bowl; continue to check for and remove cooked clams every 20 to 30 seconds. Discard any clams that still aren’t open after 8 to 10 minutes of cooking.

Add any accumulated liquid from the bottom of the bowl with the clams back to the cooking liquids, add the chicken stock then boil to reduce by half. Strain the liquids into a small saucepan and swirl in the butter so that it melts creamily into the stock. Add the peas, carrot and parsnip to the broth and keep warm over low heat. Cover the bowl of clams with foil to keep warm.

Season the Wild Alaska Pollock with salt and drizzle with half of the olive oil. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add another tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the Wild Alaska Pollock and cook until medium, about 30 seconds per side.

To serve, lift the peas, carrot and parsnip from the broth with a slotted spoon and in the center of individual soup bowl. Arrange the clam around the bowl and set the Wild Alaska Pollock piece, slightly overlapping, on top of the vegetables. Spoon the broth over the Wild Alaska Pollock, then sprinkle the fish with chives. Toss the cress with a pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle a bit of olive oil. Perch the salad on top of the Wild Alaska Pollock and serve right away with toasted or grilled bread on the side.

 

Yields 4 servings

© Thierry Rautureau 2020
™ The Chef In The Hat!!!