Richly flavoured with a just hint of citrus, the secret ingredient in this robust soup is the briny seawater that infuses the tomato as the mussels open.
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until lightly coloured, then add the carrot, celery, chilli and bay leaves and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Deglaze with the white wine, then cook until reduced by a third, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, then add 1 litre of water and the lemon zest and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the mussels to the pan, then cover with a lid. Cook for 3–5 minutes until the mussels have opened. Sprinkle over the chopped parsley and serve.
Serves 6
1½ tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 sticks celery, diced
½ long red chilli, seeded and chopped
4 bay leaves
100 g tomato paste
300 ml white wine
1.6 kg tomatoes, roughly chopped, then passed through a mouli food mill or blended in a food processor
sea salt and cracked black pepper
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1.5 kg mussels, scrubbed and debearded
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
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