7 Mares Recipe

Clean seafood

Rinse mussels and clams under cold water, discard any with cracked shells or that do not close when tapped. Scrub shells and remove beards from mussels. Peel and devein shrimp if needed. If using a whole Johan crab, split in half or quarter depending on size and rinse cavity. Cut fish into 1" pieces, slice octopus into bite-size pieces, and pat all seafood dry. Pat scallops dry and set aside.

Prepare aromatics and tomato

Dice the onion, thinly slice the leek and fennel (if using), mince garlic. Blanch the tomato in boiling water 30–60 seconds, transfer to ice water, peel, remove seeds if desired, and chop. If using canned crushed tomato, skip blanching.

Measure liquids & herbs

Measure seafood stock, wine, tomato paste, and seasonings. Tie thyme sprigs and bay leaves together with kitchen twine (optional) to make them easy to remove.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil and butter. When shimmering, add the diced onion and sliced leek (and fennel if using). Sweat gently until translucent, about 6–8 minutes; do not brown.

Add minced garlic and smoked paprika and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to develop flavor.

Add the chopped tomato (or crushed tomato) and cook 3–4 minutes until it breaks down slightly. Pour in the white wine and raise heat to medium-high; simmer 2–3 minutes to reduce by about half and burn off most alcohol.

Add the seafood stock, tied thyme and bay leaves, and bring to a gentle simmer. Season with about 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper now; you will adjust later. Reduce heat to low and let the broth simmer gently 10 minutes to marry flavors.

Add the octopus and crab pieces to the simmering broth first. Cook at a gentle simmer 10–12 minutes to tenderize the octopus and heat the crab through (time depends on size).

Add the mussels and clams to the pot, cover, and cook 4–6 minutes until the shells open. Stir once or twice. Discard any mussels/clams that remain closed after cooking.

Add the fish pieces and scallops, simmer gently 3–4 minutes — just until opaque and cooked through.

Add the shrimp last and cook 2–3 minutes until pink and opaque. Taste the broth and add remaining salt (about 1/2 tsp more if needed), black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.

Stir in lemon juice, chopped parsley, and cilantro (if using) and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. If you prefer a slightly thicker soup, mix cornstarch with cold water to form a slurry, then stir into the simmering broth and cook 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened.

Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs (if tied). Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, making sure each serving gets a mix of the seven seafoods. Serve immediately with crusty bread or toasted baguette for dipping.