Baked fish with clam stuffing

Name: Baked fish with clam stuffing
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 three-pound fish (such as striped bass or red snapper), cleaned with gills removed but head and tail left on; Salt to taste if desired; Freshly ground pepper to taste; 12 large cherrystone clams, approximately; 9 tablespoons butter; ¾ cup finely chopped onion, about ¼ pound; 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots; ½ teaspoon finely minced garlic; ½ cup finely chopped celery; ½ cup finely chopped green pepper; ½ teaspoon finely chopped, fresh thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried; 1 ½ cups finely chopped mushrooms, about ¼ pound; 1 cup fine, fresh bread crumbs; 1 whole egg, lightly beaten; 1 cup dry white wine; ½ cup heavy cream; ¼ cup finely chopped parsley

By Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey

Published May 28, 1983

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Rating: 3(7)
Comments: Read comments

Featured in: Food; AS AMERICAN AS...CLAMS

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Ingredients

Yield:Four to six servings

1 three-pound fish (such as striped bass or red snapper), cleaned with gills removed but head and tail left on
Salt to taste if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
12 large cherrystone clams, approximately
9 tablespoons butter
¾ cup finely chopped onion, about ¼ pound
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
½ teaspoon finely minced garlic
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped green pepper
½ teaspoon finely chopped, fresh thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried
1 ½ cups finely chopped mushrooms, about ¼ pound
1 cup fine, fresh bread crumbs
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup finely chopped parsley

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Step 2
Sprinkle fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Step 3
Open the clams. There should be about one cup of shucked clams and one cup of clam juice. Put the clams on a flat surface and chop coarsely. Set aside the chopped clams and the juice.
Step 4
Heat two tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan, and add the onion, shallots, garlic, celery, green pepper, thyme and mushrooms. Cook, stirring, about five minutes. Do not burn.
Step 5
Add the clams, bread crumbs and beaten egg. Add salt and a generous grinding of black pepper.
Step 6
Place the fish on a sizable length of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Open up the cavity of the fish and stuff with the clam mixture. It will be quite full. Dot the top of the fish with two tablespoons of butter. Fold the foil over to contain the stuffing and keep it in place.
Step 7
Rub the bottom of a baking dish, large enough to hold the fish comfortably, with three tablespoons of butter. Add the fish. Pour the reserved clam juice and half of the wine around the fish, and place the dish on top of the stove. Bring the liquid to the boil. Place the dish in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Open up the foil. Pour the remaining wine into the pan and continue baking 45 minutes.
Step 8
Transfer the fish to a warm platter. Remove and discard the foil. Cover the fish with a clean sheet of foil to keep it warm.
Step 9
Place the baking dish on top of the stove and bring the liquid to the boil. Add the cream and stir. Pour and scrape this mixture into a saucepan, and bring it to a rolling boil. Swirl in the remaining two tablespoons of butter.
Step 10
Remove the top skin of the fish, leaving the skin on the head for decorative purposes. Pour the sauce over the fish and sprinkle with parsley. Serve the stuffing with portions of the fish.