Frutti di Mare- Westerly High School Culinary Program

Frutti di Mare

Westerly High School Culinary Program: Lucas Denslow, Nate Pachiga, Trista Thornton, Bella Weber, and Chloe Will, with Chef Instructor Jamie Finkelstein

This recipe was the winning dish in the 2026 RI Seafood Cookoff!

Garlic Leek butter

Recipe Yield: 1 lb

Ingredients

1 Leek, washed/sliced (white part only)

4 Garlic Cloves

2 oz. Blended Oil

1 Lb Tempered butter

Kosher Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Add the garlic to a pot with the oil and cook on low till fragrant.

2. Add the leeks and season with salt. Cooked covered for 15 minutes while stirring to sweat (not looking for color) until soft and translucent.

3. Puree in a blender until completely smooth then place into ice as to retain the color and flavors.

4. Add softened butter to a mixer with a whisk and mix on low speed to soften. Add in ½ at a time the puree to make sure it is combined completely and consistent. Place into a container and into the fridge.

Calamari

Ingredients

8 oz. Calamari, Cut

3 ea. Garlic cloves, sliced

1 oz. Olive Oil

3 oz. White Wine

5 oz. Tomato Puree

1 ea. Oregano sprig

Kosher salt to taste

Espelette Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Sweat the garlic with the oil until soft and translucent. Add the calamari with the salt and continue cooking on low until the calamari begins to release moisture.

2. Add the white wine and cook on medium heat till it has cooked off.

3. Add the tomato puree and cook on low for 25-30 minutes till tender but slightly al dente. Finish by steeping in the oregano spring and remove before the oregano turns brown. Finish with Espelette.

4. Ice down and transfer into container

Mussel Broth

Ingredients

20 ea. Mussels, washed/debearded

1 ea. Whole Garlic, halved

½ cup White Wine

Water to taste

1 ea. Oregano sprig

Espelette Pepper to taste

1. Cook the halved heads of garlic face down in olive oil in a pot till fragrant. Add the oregano to lightly fry. Add the white wine and cook until the alcohol is cooked off. Add Espelette.

2. Add a layer of mussels at a time so you can control the cook then cover and steam.

3. Pull the mussels out one at a time as soon as they are cooked. Once pulled, remove the meat from the shells and make sure to leave the adductor attached to the shell (chewy and not the best texture). Store in a container. Strain and cool the broth. Add equal amounts of water.

Assembly:

1. Begin cooking pasta of your choice

2. Heat up red sauce of your choice and deglaze with the broth

3. Toss in the pasta once cooked into the red sauce as to allow it to fortify the flavors

4. Add mussels and slipper limpets (optional) as well as the stewed calamari and heat through.

5. Add in 2 Tbsp of the leek butter and grate in some parmigiano.

6. Plate up and top with chervil, fresh lemon zest, candied cured lemon, olive oil, espelette pepper, and more parmigiano

7. Top with fried squid ink bread crumbs.

Original source or Inspiration: Kevin O’Donnell, Giusto” 

NEW ENGLAND CIOPPINO

Recipe courtesy of Fearless Eating. Click the button below for the recipe.

SPICY SEAFOOD STEW WITH LEEKS, FENNEL AND CALABRIAN PEPPERS

Recipe courtesy of Edible Rhody magazine. Click the button below for the recipe.

This recipe calls for a mussels, littlenecks, and any firm white fish. Some suggestions for fish include (but are not limited to) sea robin, monkfish, haddock, black sea bass, halibut, tautog, pollock, or John dory. You could also add in additional shellfish such as slipper limpets (an Eating with the Ecosystem favorite species. We suggest briefly steaming them and removing them from the shell before adding them to the stew).

FISHERMAN’S STEW

Recipe courtesy of Eating with the Ecosystem from Simmering the Sea.

If you enjoy this recipe please consider buying the full cookbook to experience the full suite of recipes for all our favorite local seafood species while also supporting Eating with the Ecosystem!

RECIPE

Serves 4

 INGREDIENTS

FOR THE STEW 

½ onion, diced into ½-inch pieces 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

⅓ cup white wine 

1 cup water (or kelp broth; recipe on page 20) 

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes 

¼ cup pitted green olives, rinsed and sliced

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed 

2 garlic cloves, smashed and coarsely chopped 

1 bay leaf 

1 teaspoon red chili flakes 

Salt and pepper to taste 

¼ cup parsley, roughly chopped 

Several slices crusty bread 

SEAFOOD 

½ pound mussels, cleaned 

½ pound littleneck or other clams 

2 pounds lobster, only claws and tail in shell 

1 pound Acadian redfish fillets (or other white fish), cut into pieces 

½ pound squid, rings and tentacles 

Pinch of saffron (optional) 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Rinse mussels and clams under cold running water. Refrigerate to keep cool. Split lobster tail in half lengthwise and cut into bite-size pieces. Split claws in half lengthwise. Marinate lobster, fish, and squid with saffron and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place in refrigerator to keep cool. Sauté onions over medium heat in 2 tablespoons olive oil until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add white wine and reduce by half. Add water or kelp broth, tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, bay leaf, and chili flakes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add clams and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add mussels, lobster, squid, and fish. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Add parsley and stir. Serve in a deep soup bowl and garnish with crusty bread. 

EASY NEW ENGLAND CLAMBAKE

Recipe courtesy of the Spruce Eats. Click the button below for the recipe.



CLASSIC FRENCH MUSSELS

Recipe courtesy of GEORGE DURAN. Click the button below for the recipe.



MUSSELS WITH WHITE WINE

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com. Click the button below for the recipe.



SIMPLE STEAMED CLAMS OR MUSSELS

Recipe courtesy of NY Times Cooking. Click the button below for the recipe.



PASTA WITH MUSSELS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Recipe courtesy of NY Times Cooking. Click the button below for the recipe.



MUSSEL CHOWDER WITH FENNEL

Recipe courtesy of Fearless Eating. Click the button below for the recipe.



THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO NEW ENGLAND CHOWDER (12 RECIPES INCLUDED)

Recipe courtesy of Fearless Eating. Click the button below for the recipes.

COCONUT-CURRIED MUSSELS WITH GRILLED PINEAPPLE SALSA OVER RICE

Recipe courtesy of RI Sea Grant and William M. Davies, Jr. Career & Technical Center. Click the button below to access the recipe.

CLINGSTONE LITTLENECKS

Recipe courtesy of Edible Rhody magazine. Click the button below for the recipe.

STEAMED PERIWINKLES

Recipe courtesy of Eating with the Ecosystem from Simmering the Sea

If you enjoy this recipe please consider buying the full cookbook to experience the full suite of recipes for all our favorite local seafood species while also supporting Eating with the Ecosystem!

RECIPE

Serves 4

 INGREDIENTS

2 lbs periwinkles, scrubbed and rinsed
1 cup white wine
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic (Tip: use a microplane)
7 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp fresh parsley, separated into stalks and leaves
½ pound butter, cut into cubes
Salt to taste
1 lemon, cut into quarters
Several slices of crusty sourdough bread for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Place a large saucepan over high heat on the stove. Mix periwinkles, wine, garlic, thyme, and parsley stalks in a bowl. Once the saucepan is extremely hot, add ingredients and cover. Steam for 2-3 minutes. Remove periwinkles using a slotted spoon and set aside. Lower heat to medium and reduce liquid to ¼ cup, Strain into a saucepan. Over extremely low heat, whisk in butter, a few cubes at a time, until emulsified. Finely chop parsley leaves and add to the saucepan. Season with salt. Place periwinkles in a shallow serving bowl. Pour butter sauce over periwinkles and serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread. Use a toothpick to scoop out the flesh from the shells.

You can also make this recipe with clams, littlenecks, whelks, shrimp, mussels, and lobster.