This delicate soup is classy yet simple, and leaving the mussels in their shells makes for a beautiful presentation; a touch of cream is a nice addition but an optional one. Serve this with a loaf of good, crusty bread; soaking the bread in the broth is one of this dish’s great pleasures. You can transform this into an entree, using pasta; see the variation.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　4 pounds mussels, picked through and cleaned (page 208)

　　2 shallots, sliced

　　2 cups dry white wine

　　3 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil

　　2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and well rinsed

　　2 garlic cloves, minced

　　Large pinch of saffron

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste, optional

　　1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

　　1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　Chopped fresh basil or chervil leaves for garnish, optional

　　

Step 1

Put the mussels, shallots, and wine in a saucepan and turn the heat to high. Cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, just until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Remove them from the broth with a slotted spoon, then strain the broth through cheesecloth or a fine strainer and set aside.

　　

Step 2

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and crumble the saffron into the saucepan. Pour in the reserved mussel broth, the cayenne if you’re using it, and enough water to make about 5 cups of soup; add the cream if you’re using it. Bring just to a boil, then turn off the heat and season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

　　

Step 3

Arrange the mussels in soup bowls and pour the hot broth over them. Garnish with the basil or chervil if desired and serve.

　　

Pasta in Mussel Broth

Step 4

Cook 1/2 pound cut pasta, like penne, in salted boiling water until tender but not mushy, about 8 minutes. Add the pasta to the mussel soup, garnish, and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.