Seafood is a welcome addition to the food table at any time, and here in Hong Kong we are lucky in that we have both fresh and frozen clams, mussels and lobsters in the shops along with a variety of fish throughout the year.

From an Italian style seafood soup, which is a similar to bouillabaisse but not the same, to steamed mussels and clams with or without fish broth there are enough good recipes to last you throughout the year.

Start with an Italian Fish Soup; make a simple broth from kg fish heads or fish trimmings by boiling them in 1 liter (1.75 pints) water for 30 minutes, after de-scaling them carefully. Pass the broth through a muslin cloth to get rid of any scales residue, add a good pinch of saffron threads and allow to soak while you prepare the rest.

For one or two persons, take 24 clams and 12 mussels - for four people use 1 kg (or more) of live clams and 1 kg mussels. Scrub with a stiff brush under cold running water. Discard any clams or mussels that do not close when you tap the shell. De-beard the mussels by puling the threads from the shell. If they are very dirty soak the clams and mussels in a mixture of 1/3 cup salt to 1 gallon of water for 20 minutes. Drain the water, then rinse in running water. Alternatively, use frozen mussels from Chile.

Chop the following; 2 leeks, 3 garlic cloves, 1 big yellow onion, 2 celery sticks, and gently saut for 7 minutes In 3 Tbsp olive oil, keep stirring every now and then so they don't burn until they are lightly caramelized (many Portuguese dishes use this method of caramelizing onions and garlic for seafood based dishes to add a degree of sweet balance to the fish).

Add to 1 liter of the fish stock along with 9 oz (250 grams) of tinned tomatoes, 1 small chilli and a handful of chopped parsley. You can also add 150 ml of dry white wine, heat and simmer for 15 minutes before adding 1 pound (450 grams) of white, boneless fish such as ling, sea bass, monkfish, or cod (cut into small chunks). Allow to cook over a low heat for 4 minutes before adding the mussels and clams, and a leaf or two of nori seaweed torn into pieces. Check the seasoning and serve hot along with chunks of crusty bread, providing a side plate for the discarded shells.

A tip when using live mussels is to allow them to purge (clean) themselves by scrubbing with a small brush under running water, then placing them in a bowl of clean water mixed with 2 Tbsp oatmeal flakes (quick oats) and a pinch of salt, and set aside in a cool place for 1 hour, then rinsing them before cooking.

In response to a friendly request, here is an easy recipe for UNI (sea urchin) and a variety of fish roes sauce over pasta.

Mash well together or put In a blender to puree; 1/4 cup olive oil, a pinch of spicy paprika, 1 Tbsp Tobiko flying fish roe, 1 Tbsp Uni (sea urchin roe) and/or 1 Tbsp Sujiko (salmon roe) a shake of white pepper. Set aside.

In the meantime cook spaghetti or angels hair pasta according to the packet instructions. When cooked, remove from the heat, drain well and add the fish roe puree and 1 Tbsp butter and mix well. Top with chopped chives before serving. You can also add a teaspoonful of raw Uni and fish roe eggs on top along with finely chopped chives for added color. Serve with a cool, dry rose wine.

(HK Edition 04/24/2015 page7)