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Mussel and Carrot Soup

4.4

(4)

Gah Yan Tsui writes, via gourmet.com: "I recently enjoyed a delicious lunch at Aquavit in New York City. Marcus Samuelsson makes an incredible mussel and carrot soup. Would it be possible to acquire the recipe?"

This soup tastes much better when made with fresh carrot juice. If you don't have a juicer, you can get some at your nearest natural foods store.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup dry white wine
2 (3-inch) fresh tarragon sprigs
3 lb mussels (8 dozen; preferably cultivated), scrubbed well and beards discarded
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups fresh carrot juice
2 (8-oz) bottles clam juice
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sour cream

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook shallots, ginger, garlic, and curry powder, stirring, until shallots are golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in wine, tarragon, and mussels and cook, covered, until mussels just open wide, checking frequently after 3 minutes and transferring opened mussels to a bowl. (Discard any mussels that remain unopened after 6 minutes.) Add stock, carrot juice, and clam juice to pot and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

    Step 2

    Whisk lime juice into sour cream in a small bowl. Add lime mixture in a stream to soup, whisking until smooth, then season with salt and pepper. Return mussels to pot and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until just heated through (do not let boil).

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