Steamed Mussels Soup - Fancy Zuppa di Cozze
If you’re raised as a Roman Catholic, you have the tradition of not eating meat during Fridays of Lent. So, seafood becomes a staple of Good Friday. And mussels are one of my favorite kinds of seafood. On the other hand, one of the things I love about Prince Edward Island is the magnificent mussels you can get there. They are big, tender and sweet, with no sand but all the flavor. Ingredients (serves 4)
2 lb PEI mussels
3/4 cup white wine
2 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1½ cup heavy cream
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
Peperoncino (red pepper flakes)
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt, pepper
Clean the mussels. Wash them and remove the brown fibers (if any) between the two shells. Submerge the mussels in cold water for about 20 minutes. They should be closed, so discard any open mussels that don’t close if you press them with your fingers. You should also discard any broken ones.
In a saucepan over medium heat sauté the shallots with olive oil, the garlic, salt, pepper and peperoncino (making a soffritto). Rinse and drain the mussels, then toss them over the soffritto. After a couple of minutes, add the wine, cook uncovered for about 2 minutes and then cover the saucepan until the mussels begin to open. When they are all open, add the cream and the parsley, give a quick stir and enjoy.
