Readers of this blog may have realized that I particularly love fish soups and stews. My previous fish soup postings have been complex and time consuming. This mussel and fish soup, which is based on a traditional Italian recipe, can be prepared, cooked and served in about 30 minutes or less, and is pungent, tasty and extra delicious. It is not for the timid, however! It’s flavor has a strong garlic base and I have added some fish pieces and several other herbs (the most common traditional versions of this recipe typically only use Italian parsley). I served this as a light, late evening supper, with a tomato salad (sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella slices, black olives, balsamic vinegar and olive oil), some lightly toasted pain au levain slices rubbed with garlic from Acme Bread Company in Berkeley and I paired it with a delicious 2005 Fume Blanc from Dry Creek Vineyards which proved to be an excellent choice.
My fishmonger had just received a batch of Prince Edward Island Mussels (from Canada). They were of medium size and I used them for this dish. Previously I have used local Sonoma Coast Mussels, although the ones I had were rather small, but tasty. My favorite are the New Zealand “Green Lip” mussels. They are big, tasty, good texture and are reputably good for arthritis and other joint ailment.
Ingredients (4 servings):
- 1 1/2 lbs mussels
- 1 lb fish, cut into 1″ pieces. I used salmon and snapper.
- 1 1/2 cups chopped, fresh herbs. My mix was predominantly Italian parsley, and smaller amounts of: dill, basil, tarragon, chervil and thyme.
- 4 – 5 fat cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 bottle dry white wine
- sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
Method:
Prepare the mussels by scrubbing thoroughly, removing their beards, scraping off any barnacles and discarding any that are broken or open. In addition, I always give all mussels that I cook the “sniff test” and discard any that have an “off” smell. Set aside for later.
Cut the fish up into 1″ cubes. My fishmonger had some small salmon and snapper tails that were half price because they were off cuts from larger fillets, perfect for a soup!
Chop the herbs. I like to chop about 2/3 of them finely, and the rest coarsely and mix them together:
Finely chop the garlic:
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil on high heat in a large skillet. Pick a pan that has a tight-fitting lid. Add about 1/2 of the chopped garlic and all the mussels, put the lid on and hold it on tightly then rotate the pan vigorously while holding the lid down firmly. This will coat the mussels with the garlic and should only take a 15 seconds or so. Keep the bottom of the pan on the heating surface. Open the lid, pour in the wine and immediately put the lid back on. Hold the lid on firmly to create a little steam pressure in the pan and continue to vigorously rotate and shake the pan while the mussels cook. After about 1 minute, the shells should be partially opened. When you take the lid off, the smell of the garlic, mussels and evaporated wine will be fantastic!
Add the fish, stir and continue cooking with the lid held tightly for only about one minute or so on high heat.
When the fish is partially cooked, about a minute or so, pour the entire contents of the pan into a bowl and set aside. If there are any mussels with unopened shells, discard them.
In the same large skillet heat the remaining olive oil and saute the remaining garlic until it begins to turn golden, add the crushed red pepper, half of the chopped herbs and the liquid from the mussels and fish. When hot, combine the mussels and fish with the liquid and herbs in a large bowl, drizzle some olive oil over and add the remaining herbs.
Serve immediately.
