Bowl of Seven Seas Soup
(click to enlarge)

Seven Seas Soup


Mexico, costal   -   Caldo de Siete de Mares
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 12 cups
***
1-1/4 hrs
Part		 A justly famous soup from along the costs of Mexico. Important: for details see Serving and Comments.

1-1/2
1-1/2
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8
4
4
1-1/2
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1
1/3
2
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1
4
1
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ar
#
#
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oz
oz
oz
oz
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c
T
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T
c
t
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Fish (1)
Shellfish (2)
-- Sofrito
Tomatoes
Onion, white
Bell Pepper
Celery
-- Flavorings
Chili Guajillo (3)
Epazote (4)
Lime Juice
--------------
Olive Oil, ExtV
Fish Broth (5)
Salt
-- Garnish
Cilantro
Do Ahead   -   (2 hrs or more)
  1. Prepare FISH as needed (scale, clean, fillet) and produce FISH BROTH. See also Do Ahead for more options.
Prep   -   (55 min)
  1. Thaw Fish Fillets (if frozen) and cut into about 1-1/2 inch chunks.
  2. Thaw all SHELLFISH. Peel SHRIMP and de-vein. Cut any items that need cutting and mix all.
  3. Scald TOMATOES one minute in boiling water. Quench in cold water and peel. Dice about 1/2 inch.
  4. Chop all other SOFRITO items fine. Mix all with Tomatoes.
  5. Cut up GUAJILLO with kitchen shears and discard seeds. Grind to powder in your spice grinder.
  6. Chop EPIZOTE medium. Measure is after chopping, moderately packed.
  7. Squeeze LIME JUICE.
  8. Chop CILANTRO small for Garnish.
Run   -   (20 minutes)
  1. In a heavy bottomed pot (4 quart), heat Oil over medium flame. Stir in Sofrito and fry stirring until all liquid has evaporated.
  2. Stir in Broth and bring to a boil. Stir in Fish and any Shell-on Mollusks (if using), Cook until shells open and fish is cooked through, about 4 minutes.
  3. On highest heat, stir in Shellfish mix, Epazote, Chili Powder, and Salt. Cook only until Shrimp are pink - everything is done even before it's back to a boil. Stir in Lime Juice and take off the heat.
  4. Serve hot, garnished with Cilantro, and with Lime Wedges on the side. Steamed Thai Jasmine Rice will go well with this - set out a bowl to be spooned into soup bowls as desired.
NOTES:

  1. Fish:

      Weight is for Fillets. To use whole fish (so you can make the broth) you need to buy a bit over 3 pounds. My favorite fish for recipes like this is Golden Pompano. It's a tasty fish, holds together well in soups and stews, can be used skin-on, has no scales, is easy to fillet, and produces a very good fish broth or stock. Another I favor is Amberjack,also used skin-on. Some recipes call for Catfish or suggest Tilapia, neither of which is a sea fish, but will work. See our Varieties of Fish (very big page) for other fish. If you are new to dealing with whole fish, see our Cleaning & Filleting Round Bodied Fish.

  2. Shellfish, Mixed

      This might seem like a lot, but they shrink a lot in cooking. Officially, the shellfish used are whatever is available at the time. Conditions given in this recipe departs significantly from most recipes - see Serving. Shellfish that I commonly use (at least 4 at a time) are:
          Shrimp             (always)
          Clam meat       frozen
          Mussel meat     frozen
          Squid               rings or fancier cuts.
          Octopus, baby frozen
          Periwinkle       frozen meat
          Crab Meat
          Bay Scallops
          Mock Turtle     see Mock Turtle.

  3. Chili Guajillo:

      This is the Chili usually used in this soup. It is the most used Chili in Mexico so is easy to find. For details see our Mexican Chilis page. You could use some other low heat chili powder.

  4. Epazote:

      An herb much used in southern Mexico and Central America, especially to season beans, but other things as well. For details see our Epazote page. If you don't have it, most recipes recommend Cilantro.

  5. Fish Broth:

      I start with whole fish and make broth from the heads, bones, and fins, usually a day or more ahead and freeze the fillets until needed. The broth can be made even weeks ahead if properly stored - see our Making Fish Stock page. I also include broth made from Shrimp Shells if I have it.   Substitute: If you can't make the Fish Broth, make up your 4 cups to include an 8 ounce bottle of Clam Juice and two Tablespoons of Thai Fish Sauce. Many recipes allow Chicken Broth, though chickens are not known to live in any of the Seven Seas. A mix of Fish and Chicken would also work.

  6. Mock Turtle:

      The best substitute I've found to be Ox Tails. In Europe a whole calf's head is used, but not practical in in Southern California. Availability: sheep head, always; pig head, rarely; calf head, never. For the Turtle, simmer the Ox Tails until the flesh comes easily from the bones, about 2-1/2 hours. Pull flesh from the bones, discarding fat but keeping all connective tissue.

  7. Do Ahead:

      This recipe can be made even a day or two ahead, up to adding the Fish. The final steps should be made close to serving time. For buffet service, once the Shellfish mix is just cooked, I pour into a slow cooker set to "Keep Warm". The Cilantro, I just stir in. If you have to reheat a completed soup, take it up to only 165°F/75°C. That's hot enough to kill any bacteria, but minimizes how much the shellfish shrink.

  8. Serving:

      Most photos you will see of this soup have whole shell-on clams and mussels, shell-on head-on shrimp, and often a whole side of snow crab legs, thick end in the soup and legs sticking out over the rim of the bowl. This is fine for a feature item in a restaurant, or even an important dinner, but for home use it is very difficult to get together and excessively expensive. It is also impossible for buffet service. This recipe is easy to buy for. I get all my seafood from a single Asian market in Los Angeles (San Gabriel) in one visit, and for a reasonable price.

  9. Comments:

      This soup sometimes includes seven kinds of seafood, but can have as few as just Fish and Shrimp; My first encounter with this soup was in a Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles over 50 years ago. It cannot (legally) be made as it was then, because sea turtle is now totally off the menu. Here I suggest the "Turtle" from my successful Mock Turtle Soup - if you can afford Ox Tail at today's prices.
  10. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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