I didn’t start eating mussels until I was in my twenties, but I soon made up for lost time, especially during the three years that I lived on Cape Cod. What is most fun about this soup is being able to sip the saffron-colored broth out of a mussel shell instead of a spoon. Its complex flavor comes from the combination of tomatoes, white wine, and fish stock, with curry powder and ginger spicing it up. The mussels open during cooking, and the tender meat can be nudged out with a fork.

Ingredients:

36 fresh mussels
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups (16 ounces) canned stewed tomatoes
6 cups fish stock or clam juice
1 cup white wine
2^1/2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Fill the sink or a clean bowl with ice water. Soak the mussels for 20 minutes to remove grit from the shells. Drain the water. Using a brush scrub the shells well and remove the beards (rough, fibrous patches on the sides of the shells).

Heat a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, ginger, onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 10 minutes. Add the mussels to the pot and stir to coat with the vegetables and oil. Add the tomatoes, stock, wine, curry, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer until all of the mussel shells have opened. Add the cilantro, brown sugar, salt, and pepper, and stir gently. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 to 10 servings. This soup makes an easy, informal summer meal for friends. Ladle each serving into a big, wide bowl. Set out an empty bowl for the empty mussel shells, and plenty of extra napkins. Slices of crusty bread are great for sopping up the extra broth.