Featured Recipe

Six 6-ounce halibut fillets, patted dry, seasoned generously with salt and fresh ground pepper

18-24 manila clams, cleaned

2 tablespoon sweet cream butter

1 small leek, white part sliced and cleaned (save the greens for stock or another use)

1 medium or 2 small dried chilies (try chile de arbol for a little warmth), crumbled

4 cloves garlic, slivered

¼ cup dry white wine like a white burgundy

½ bunch marjoram, de-stemmed and roughly chopped

1 ½ teaspoon raw fennel seeds

28 ounce tin of good quality tomatoes, + water if needed

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

Warm wide soup bowls in a low oven.

In a large, heavy soup pot, melt butter on medium heat.  Once foam subsides, add leeks, garlic, fennel seeds and crumbled chili. 

Turn heat down and cook, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables are softened and aromas blend together, about 10 minutes. 

Increase heat to medium high and deglaze pot with wine, stirring occasionally to scrape up any scrumptious brown bits. 

Once the alcohol burns off, gently settle the clams in the broth and cover.  After a minute or two, start checking on the clams; pull each one as it opens completely.  Set aside.  Discard any clams that fail to open.

Add tomatoes, marjoram and a pinch of salt to broth, combine well and adjust the heat to keep the mixture at a low simmer. 

Cook for another 10 minutes to allow the flavors to mix and mingle, adding water if needed to keep a saucy consistency to your liking.

Meanwhile, add olive oil to a warm skillet and increase heat to medium-high.  Once the oil is hot but not quite smoking, add halibut fillets, skin side down, and cook until seared, about 2 minutes. 

Place the seared fillets in the tomato mixture, skin side up, and cook, covered, for another 2-3 minutes, until just cooked through.  Add in the cooked clams and warm through, about another minute.  Season to taste.

 Ladle sauce into warmed bowls, place a halibut fillet in each, and scatter a handful of clams around the fish.  Serve immediately with hot, crusty bread, brushed with a scant rubbing of raw garlic or tapenade – yum!

Santé!
Bonny Giardina