Basil spätzle in saffron broth with clams, cockles and mussels

Method

1. Bring a medium pan of water to the boil and add the spinach and basil. Blanch for 30 seconds, then drain in a colander. Refresh under cold water and squeeze in a clean tea towel or clean J-cloth to remove excess water. Finely chop and set aside.
2. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and nutmeg, along with 2 tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper. Slowly whisk the ingredients together as you pour in the milk, continuously whisking to form a smooth batter. Stir in the basil and spinach and leave in the fridge for an hour to thicken. Put all the ingredients for the gremolata in a small bowl, with 1/4 tsp salt and a grind of black pepper. Mix well and set aside.
3. To cook the spätzle, fill a large bowl with iced water and bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Using a spatula, spread the batter out on a chopping board – a smooth wooden board is perfect – to form a square, roughly 15cm wide and 5mm thick. Perch the chopping board on the edge of the saucepan, lifting it up at a 45 degree angle, then, using the spatula or a long knife, quickly push the batter in small ribbons about 4 cm long x 1cm wide, into softly boiling water, cutting them with the spatula as you do. Make sure the water is not too rapidly boiling as this will cause the spätzle to break up. You will need to do this in two or three batches, so that you do not overcrowd the pan. Cook for 1 minute, until the spätzle float to the top of the water, then, using a slotted spoon, lift them out of the boiling water and plunge them straight into the ice-cold water. Repeat with the remaining mixture before draining the spätzle and then setting them all aside on a clean tea towel to absorb any excess water. See food team tip.
4. For the broth, put the oil into a large saucepan, for which you have a lid, and place on a medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until starting to soften. Add the celery and cook for another minute. Increase the heat, pour over the vermouth and wine and cook for 5 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the clams, cockles and mussels, cover the pan and cook for 2-4 minutes, until the shells are open (throw away any that fail to do so). Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the shellfish into a colander. Set aside and, when cool enough to handle, remove the shells of two-thirds of the shellfish, keeping the remaining third intact. Keeping just some in their shells like this looks good when serving, but they’ll take up too much space in the bowl if they’re all in their shells.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the saffron, tomatoes, stock and red mullet, along with 1/2 tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes, until the fish is almost cooked. Add the spätzle and half the gremolata, stir gently and simmer for 2 more minutes.
6. Divide most of the shellfish between shallow bowls and spoon the spätzle, red mullet and hot broth on top. Finish with the remaining shellfish and serve at once, with the remaining gremolata spooned over.