Mussels with Tomato and Saffron

Serves 6

When you steam mussels, so much broth is produced that I think of what’s in the pot as a sort of soup. That observation led to this recipe, in which the steaming liquid is a more complex soup base featuring sautéed garlic, tomatoes, clam juice, and wine. The mussels provide the final ingredient—that sweet, briny juice given off when they steam open completes the soup.

Serve this with croutons spread with Saffron Aïoli.

 

¹/₄ cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

2 bay leaves

Pinch of saffron threads

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 cup bottled clam juice

¹/₂ cup dry white wine

6 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded

¹/₄ teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

 

1. Divide the olive oil between 2 large pots and warm over medium-high heat. Add 1 garlic clove to each pot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add a bay leaf and half of the saffron to each pot, stir to coat with oil, and cook for 1 minute.

2. Add half the tomatoes, clam juice, and wine to each pot. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Remove the covers, add half the mussels to each pot, raise the heat, and cook, covered, until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the mussels to a large bowl. Fish out and discard the bay leaves and any mussels that have not opened. Combine the liquids in one of the pots, add the crushed red pepper and parsley, and stir to incorporate.

4. Divide the mussels among 6 soup bowls and ladle some soup over them. Serve at once.

VARIATIONS

Mussels with White Wine and Scallion

For a broth with more bite, omit the saffron and add 2 thinly sliced scallions along with the garlic in Step 1.

Mussels with Ginger, Scallion, and Cilantro

Add 2 thinly sliced scallions and 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger along with the garlic in Step 1. For an extra, Asian tang, add a splash of rice vinegar with the wine in Step 2. Add ¹/₂ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves after removing the mussels from the pot in Step 4. This version can be made even more substantial with the addition of precooked rice noodles just before serving.

TOMORROW’S TABLE

Mussel Salad

If you have leftover mussels, refrigerate them and their cooking liquid separately in airtight containers. Whisk 4¹/₂ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1¹/₂ teaspoons Dijon mustard into ¹/₂ cup mayonnaise. Put the mussels in a bowl with a few tablespoons of reserved cooking liquid. Add the mayonnaise and toss gently. Serve on a bed of Bibb lettuce or in pitted avocado halves, dressed with a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

SAFFRON

Saffron is widely known as the most expensive spice in the world, and there’s good reason for this: Tens of thousands of flowers have to be hand-picked to gather just one pound of the stuff. (The spice is made from the dried stigmas of the purple saffron crocus.) Look for the wonderfully useful, small packages of saffron available in many markets today. You can buy just as much as you need, which in this case is only a pinch. I’ve always found that saffron makes a great gift for home cooks: A lot of people don’t keep it on hand, a little goes a long way, and every time they reach for it, they’ll think of you.