Bivalve Shellfish Soups

Shellfish that have two hard shells hinged together with an animal living inside are called bivalves. The family include mollusks such as mussels, clams, scallops, oysters, and a host of less important varieties that are rarely eaten except by an adventurous beachcomber or shipwreck survivor.

Because most bivalves can be cooked into soups using the same techniques and similar ingredients, many of the recipes in this chapter are interchangeable, with only small differences in cooking times. Once you’re comfortable working with these shellfish and a few basic ingredients, you can use different ingredients and techniques to make chowders, ceviches, Asian-style soups, and French-style pots-au-feu.