Soup of the Seven Seas

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Traditionally prepared by Mexican fisherman, caldo de siete mares, or “soup of the seven seas,” combined the freshest catch of the day along with a few vegetables in a spicy seafood broth. Today, the specific ingredients vary according to the region and the time of year, so for our version, we settled on a combination of mussels, catfish, and shrimp, all of which are native to the Gulf of Mexico. Cooking down a pureed mixture of toasted ancho chiles and aromatics gave us a complex base for our broth, but it lacked real seafood flavor. To remedy this, we created a quick seafood stock by cooking shrimp shells with our aromatic spice mixture, then simmering the mixture in a combination of clam juice and chicken broth. The addition of potatoes and corn, staples of the Mexican diet, made the soup feel hearty and satisfying. To ensure that every element was perfectly cooked, we simmered the
corn, potatoes, and mussels in the fragrant broth until just cooked through, then removed them before adding the shrimp and catfish. If you can’t find catfish, sole is a good substitute. Discard any mussel with an unpleasant odor or with a cracked or broken shell or a shell that won’t close.

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into ½-inch pieces (¾ cup)
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled, deveined, tails removed, and shells reserved
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
• 2 ears corn, husks and silk removed, cut into 1-inch rounds
• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 1½ pounds skinless catfish fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Toast anchos in Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 2 to 6 minutes; transfer to food processor. Add onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, sugar, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon pepper to processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 15 pulses.
2. Heat oil in now-empty pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add ancho mixture, shrimp shells, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has darkened in color and shrimp shells have turned bright pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in broth and clam juice, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer. Cook until flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer; discard solids. Return strained broth to again-empty pot and bring to simmer.
3. Stir in corn and potatoes and simmer until potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, stir in mussels, cover, and simmer briskly until most mussels have opened, 3 to 4 minutes (discard any unopened mussels). Using slotted spoon, transfer mussels, potatoes, and corn to individual bowls.
4. Return broth to gentle simmer over low heat. Add catfish and shrimp to pot, cover, and cook until catfish and shrimp are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. Off heat, gently stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle broth, shrimp, and catfish over mussels and vegetables. Serve with lime wedges.