Neapolitan Mussel Soup

To prepare the Neapolitan mussel soup, start by cleaning the seafood, beginning with the How to clean shrimp, remove the head 1 and tail, then use your fingers to remove the shell 2; make an incision along the back and gently pull out the internal intestine (the black vein) with the tip of a knife 3 (alternatively, you can use a toothpick). Set the shrimp aside and move on to the How to Clean and Open Mussels.

Rinse the mussels under running water 4; then use the back of a knife blade to remove all encrustations and barnacles (parasites that form on the shell) and manually detach the beard (or byssus) protruding from the shells with a sharp motion 5 (to make this easier, you can grip the byssus with a cloth). Still under fresh running water, use a steel wool pad (or a stiff brush) to scrub the mussels vigorously to remove all impurities 6. Once cleaned, set them aside.

Take the squid and gently separate the head and tentacles from the mantle; wash them well under running water, removing the cartilage pen and ink sac. Cut the squid in half lengthwise 7 and then into strips 8. Proceed with How to Clean and Cook Octopus: rinse it under running water 9, transfer it onto a clean, dry towel, and pat it dry with kitchen paper.

Place it on a cutting board and cut around the eyes to remove them 10; also remove the octopus' beak 11, then tenderize the octopus meat by pounding it with a mallet or meat tenderizer. Rinse the octopus again under cold running water and extract the innards from the sack, then wash it thoroughly inside. Wash and rub the head and tentacles with your hands to remove as much of the coating as possible. Cook it in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes or in a regular pot for 40 minutes 12. Before draining, pierce the meat with the tines of a fork to check that it's the right time to remove it from the heat.

When ready, drain the octopus using a slotted spoon and let it cool 13. Then transfer it to a cutting board and cut the tentacles into pieces 14. Brown a clove of garlic with a drizzle of oil in a non-stick pan 15.

When the garlic is well browned, remove it with kitchen tongs and add the mussels; deglaze with white wine 16 and cook covered with a lid 17, letting them open spontaneously 18: it will take about 5 minutes. After this time, check all the mussels: those that have not opened should be discarded.

Turn off the heat, drain them, preserving the cooking liquid 19. Separate the empty shells from the full ones, placing the latter in a container 20. Put a large pot on the heat with garlic in its skin and a drizzle of oil. Brown the garlic 21 and, when well browned, remove it from the pot.

Add the squid, seasoning with salt and pepper to your taste, the shrimp 22, and cook gently for 2 minutes, stirring with a spatula. Then add the octopus and cleaned mussels 23, pouring all the cooking liquid from the latter 34.

Add the peeled tomatoes 25 and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens. Meanwhile, prepare the croutons: cut the baguette into slices about 1-1/2 inches thick 26, place the slices on a baking tray lined with baking paper, and drizzle each crouton with olive oil 27.

Place under the grill for 4-5 minutes, and when the croutons are golden and crispy 28, remove them from the oven. Just before finishing cooking, add the freshly chopped parsley sprig 29: your Neapolitan mussel soup is ready 30; just serve it, accompanied by the crispy and tasty croutons you've prepared.