Dinner: Shellfish and Potatoes à la Marinière

Recipe by Alain Ducasse White wine and briny shellfish juices marry in the pot, then are puréed with parsley to create a light sauce so flavorful, it needs only a touch of butter.

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds small new or baby Yukon Gold potatoes
1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, diced
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 pound littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 pound cockles or small Manila clams, scrubbed
6-8 razor clams, scrubbed (optional)
1 cup (packed) flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan. Add cold water to cover by 2". Add 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add fennel, shallots, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat; add wine. Return pot to heat; increase heat to high, add littleneck clams, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Add mussels, cockles, razor clams (if using), and potatoes. Cover; cook until all shellfish have opened (discard any that do not open), 4-5 minutes longer.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer shellfish and potatoes to a warm bowl and transfer any remaining vegetables from pot to a blender. Pour liquid from pot into blender, leaving any sediment behind. Add 1 cup parsley and butter to blender; purée on high until sauce is bright green and thickened, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over shellfish; stir to coat. Garnish with whole parsley leaves.