Soup's On

There is nothing like a bowl of hot soup. Its wisp of aromatic steam making the nostril quiver with anticipation. Seafood soups are winter wonders.

Nothing beats a bowl filled with steaming soup to banish the chill from a blustery winter day. It might be a gentle Oriental noodle and salmon soup fragrant with fresh ginger, or a velvety curried tuna and chickpea soup, or a Southwest shrimp and corn chowder bursting with cilantro. Whichever you choose, cold-weather comfort is close at hand.

We too often shy away from seafood soups thinking they are either too expensive or too difficult to prepare, when neither case is true. Making seafood soups offers a splendid opportunity to take advantage of featured store seafood specials. Or slip surimi seafood--and even your leftover cooked fish from last night--into soups for a cost-effective and easy approach. Unlike meat stews, which require long cooking times to tenderize the muscle, seafood soups require little cooking time. Each of the soups that follow can be prepared in less than an hour.

Try these warming seafood soups and we think you'll agree with renowned French chef Louis P. DeGouy, who in 1949 sang soup's praises in his Soup Book. "Soup is cuisine's kindest course. It breathes reassurance; it teems consolation, after a weary day it promotes sociability . . . there is nothing like a bowl of hot soup, its wisp of aromatic steam making the nostril quiver with anticipation."

Tips for Successful Seafood Soups

1. Choose seafood that will retain its shape when cooked. Firm-fleshed fish such as monkfish, salmon, catfish, cod or tuna work well, as do shellfish such s scallops, oysters, mussels or shrimp. Avoid thin, tender fish such as sole or flounder. For best results, choose fish is at least 1/2 inch thick and cut into 1-inch chunks.
2. In general, allow 2 to 4 ounces fillet, steak or shellfish meat per person; or combine cut-up fillet or steak with 3/4 to 1 pound live molluscs for n eye-catching, hands-on soup.
3. Add seafood at the end of cooking or reheating time for the most moist, tender product. Seafood will continue to cook as it stands in the hot soup so cook it only until barely opaque in the center.
4. Soup is a great place to use inexpensive or featured store seafood specials, plus shellfish analogs such as surimi-based crab and lobster.
5. To make a quick fish stock, begin with bottled or canned clam juice. To each cup of clam juice, add 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup dry white wine, 1 small sliced onion and 2 peppercorns. Other substitutes include straight clam juice, chicken broth, tomato or vegetable juice, and fish bouillon cubes.
6. Soups reheat well and often taste even better the second day. When making soup ahead, omit the seafood until the last few minutes of reheating. Other ingredients that are best when added during reheating include greens (such as green onions, Napa cabbage or kale), as they may lose their color with excess cooking.

Recipes

• Curried Tuna and Chickpea Soup
• Mariners Pepperpot With Orzo
• Oriental Noodle Soup With Salmon
• Southwest Shrimp and Corn Chowder
• Velvety Scallop Bisque With Kale