Mussel Bound
Here’s an extra recipe to go along with my Jan. 27 story on mussels.
Because mussels create such a delicious broth—and do it in about 5 minutes—they are excellent for soup and stews.
Mussels also go well with curry, as in this hearty chowder.
Mussel Soup with Curry
Recipe loosely adapted from The Complete Robuchon (Knopf, 2008) by Joel Robuchon and from 50 Chowders (Scribner, 2000) by Jasper White.
3 pounds mussels
1 teaspoon butter
1 medium onion or leek (white part only)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
2 firm-fleshed potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, Red Bliss or all-purpose white, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
1 medium sweet potato (optional), peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 fresh sprig or pinch dried thyme
1 sprig parsley
½ bay leaf
¾ cup dry white wine
1½ cups heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Rinse and scrub mussels under cold running water. Discard any with cracked or open shells.
2. Place butter, onion, red pepper and potatoes in a soup pot. Cook without browning over medium-low heat about 3 minutes. Stir in curry. Raise heat to high and add the mussels, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaf and wine. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 2 minutes.
3. Discard herbs. Remove mussels with a slotted spoon and take them out of their shells. Discard shells; set mussels aside.
4. Meanwhile, bring liquid and vegetables to a boil. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream and bring to a simmer. Add mussels. Add salt and pepper to taste. If desired, half or more of this soup can be pureed in a blender, but leave at least ¼ of the mussels and vegetables to give the soup some chunky texture.
Makes 4 servings.
