Seafood Soup (Caldo de Mariscos)

A specialty of the Veracruz coast, this soup is similar to bouillabaisse. Seafood soup--in one variation or another, depending on the catch of the day--is found across Mexico, where it is commonly sold in markets as a hangover remedy. We used green-lipped mussels, but blue mussels will give you the same result.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)

Ingredients

• 3  poblano chiles
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  aniseed
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  cumin seeds
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1 1/2  cups  finely chopped onion
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  tablespoons  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 4  (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
• 2  jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 1  (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained (such as Muir Glen)
• 1/4  cup  fresh lime juice
• 2  (6-ounce) tilapia fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1  pound  medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1  pound  mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 3/4  cup  minced fresh cilantro
• 8  lime slices

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Cut chiles in half; discard seeds and membranes. Place halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 5 minutes or until blackened. Place in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag, and seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel chiles; discard skins. Finely chop chiles.

Cook aniseed and cumin seeds in a saucepan over medium heat 1 minute or until toasted and fragrant. Place in a spice or coffee grinder, and process until finely ground.

Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic; cook 15 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring occasionally. Add the toasted ground spices; cook 1 minute. Add sugar, salt, clam juice, chopped jalapeño peppers, and fire-roasted crushed tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped poblano chiles, lime juice, tilapia, shrimp, and mussels; bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done and mussels open; discard any unopened shells. Stir in minced fresh cilantro, and serve with lime slices.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

253 (24% from fat)

Fat:

6.8g (sat 1.1g,mono 1.4g,poly 3g)

Protein:

29.5g

Carbohydrate:

19.8g

Fiber:

3.4g

Cholesterol:

126mg

Iron:

6.1mg

Sodium:

806mg

Calcium:

124mg