I am an absolute sucker for fish soup of almost any sort. In Norway, it’s ubiquitous on menus year-round, each version different, depending on how bestemor, or Grandma, made it, but each delicious. Traveling up and down the North Sea coast, I’ve sampled many, all good. Over the years, variations on the bouillabaisse theme gradually made me realize that I could tolerate, and then enjoy, saffron, something (like cilantro and coconut) that I avoided for years.
Making such soups, however, becomes more of a problem hereabouts. Most recipes call for fish stock, and I often have problems getting fish frames, or bones, at my usually very reliable seafood dealer. Sometimes I sub clam juice, which can be purchased in large cans at some of the grocery stores on the Hill, and I found some fishy equivalent of bouillon cubes that I haven’t had the nerve to use yet. But last week I found an absolutely wonderful soup that avoids the fish stock problem.
This would be an elegant first course for a dinner party, but we used it as a main course. It’s adapted from Elizabeth Rozin’s "The Universal Kitchen," where she calls it avgolemono, but it goes far beyond the egg-and-lemon Greekness that word implies. The saffron brings a whole new dimension, and it’s extremely satisfying.
She calls for fresh tomato, but I’ve used the petite diced canned tomatoes, and she asks for orzo, the rice- shaped pasta. I had some fregola, the small pencil-eraser-sized pasta, on hand and open, so I used it, but something like Israeli couscous (which is actually pasta, but you knew that, didn’t you?), any small pasta, or even rice would work.
2 lbs. fresh mussels
1 c. bottled clam juice
1 Tbs. plus 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
about 3/4 c. diced canned tomatoes, drained, or 3-4 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
several grinds of black pepper
3 c. chicken broth
1/4-1/2 tsp. saffron threads, to taste
1/4 c. small pasta (see above) or rice
3 tsp. dried dill
2 eggs, room temperature
Scrub and debeard the mussels (although these days most mussels don’t have beards) and discard any that are cracked or open. In a large pot, bring the clam juice, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the garlic to a simmer. Add the mussels, put the lid on, and cook for 5 minutes.
Open the pot, remove all the mussels that have opened and set them aside. If any are unopened, put the lid back on, and let cook for another 3 minutes or so. Remove the rest, discarding any that haven’t opened.
Occasionally mussel broth, which is what you have now, can be sandy. Some people strain it; I just carefully pour it off into another container and check the bottom of the pot for any. Remove the mussels from their shells and discard the shells. Cover the mussels and set aside.
In that large pot, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and saute until golden. Add the tomatoes. If you’re using fresh, cook for another few minutes. Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth and saffron. Bring the liquid to a boil and add the pasta or rice. Cook for about 10 minutes, 15 for rice, until it’s tender. Stir in the dill and the reserved mussels and turn off the heat.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs well. Gradually add a ladleful of the hot soup, stirring the eggs constantly, then another ladleful , and then another, bringing the temperature of the eggs up. Stir the soup, and while stirring it, slowly pour in the eggs. The soup will thicken a little.
Taste the soup, add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. If you must reheat the soup, don’t bring it to a boil; it’ll separate.
Serves 3 as a main course, 4-6 as a first course.
-Ann