Fish Broth With Oysters And Saffron

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

1/4 c  Butter, unsalted                    1 lg Tomato, cut into wedges
1 md Onion, coarsely chopped             3 lb Bones, fish, and trimmings
1 1/2 ea Carrots ***                         1 c  Wine, white, dry
3 ea Celery ***                          6 c  Water, cold (approximately)
2 sm Leeks ***                         1/4 ts Salt (or to taste)
6 ea Parsley stems                       4 ea Clams
2 ea Garlic, cloves, crushed,            8 ea Oysters, shucked
-- peeled                           1 oz Mung bean threads **
2 ea Bay leaves                          8 ea Radicchio leaves
1/2 ts Juniper, berries                  1/4 ts Saffron threads

** Soak the mung bean threads (also called cellophane noodles) in
hot water for twenty minutes. Drain, and cut into 2-inch lengths.
Set aside.

*** Split the carrots, celery and leeks lengthwise in half. Clean,
peel, and slice the vegetables into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Melt the butter in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the
onions, carrots, leeks, parsley, garlic, bay leaves and juniper
berries, tossing the mixture well to coat with butter. When the
vegetables begin to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium low and cover.
Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Add the tomato to the stockpot and stir for 1 minute. Add the
fish bones and trimmings and white wine. Cook this mixture for 5
minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cold water to cover and raise
heat to medium high. Bring to a boil, skimming all of the froth
from the surface as it forms. Immediately lower heat and simmer
gently, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes. Strain the mixture,
pressing the solids firmly to extract all liquid. Discard the
solids. Add salt to taste.

Heat 4 cups fish broth in a saucepan. Steam clams separately in
small amount of broth just until shells open, removing each shell as
it opens. Transfer to 4 warm soup bowls; strain clam broth into warm
fish broth, avoiding any grit at the bottom.

Add oysters to fish broth and cook gently over low heat,
uncovered, just until edges curl, about 1 minute. Place 2 oysters in
each bowl. Ladle warm broth into bowls and add 2 tablespoons mung
bean threads. Add radicchio leaves and saffron and serve.

Source: New York’s Master Chefs, Bon Appetit Magazine
: Written by Richard Sax, Photographs by Nancy McFarland
: The Knapp Press, Los Angeles, 1985

Chef: Leslie Revsin, One Fifth Avenue Restaurant, New York

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