Mussel Soup with seaweed

and clams
2019-09-29

Mussels 1000 miles from the nearest ocean? Thanks to the wonder of refrigeration that is possible nowadays. UPS and FedEx manage it too overnight, but that will cost you more.

The local Walmart used to sell frozen mussels,  until a few years ago the corporate higher-ups in their great wisdom decided that Southern New Mexico shouldn’t have them anymore. They still sell them in the Las Cruces / El Paso region. I tried to special-order them, the store manager tried to get them, but the higher-ups would not allow it.

I’d been under mussel prohibition almost 4 years now; so guess my surprise when I found them at our local Peppers store. They’re not cheap. At $5/lb. they are more than double what Walmart sold them for, but that craving was there and it’s still a lot cheaper than overnighting them. I bought some.

And clams too. Walmart never had those.

Frozen mussels should have about 6 oz. of mussel meat per pound, which is not very much all considered. Fresh mussels yield more, but frozen mussels have a lot of added water. So much in fact that you don't need to bother adding more water to warm them through.

However, if you intend to eat the soup, filter the broth and dilute at least 300% to mellow the flavor and reduce the salt content.

 

Pic1: few mussels
Pic2: lots of mussels

 

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 2 servings:

  • 3 lbs. mussels
  • 2 lbs. clams
  • 2 tbsp. dried seaweed
  • S&P
  • 3 carrots, peeled, sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped

Directions

  • Chop the vegetables.
  • Transfer to an 8-qt. pot.
  • Add water to cover it all.
  • Optional:
    • add about 1/2 dz. each mussels & clams already.
  • Bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Add the mussels and clams
  • Simmer 3-5 minutes, enough to warm them through.
  • Remove the mussels.
  • Serve the mussels & clams immediately.
    Enjoy.
    Serve with mussel broth bread and butter.
  • Serve the soup. (Pic1)
  • Optional:
    • Remove some of the mussels and clams from their shell.
    • Serve them in the soup. (Pic2)

Preparing the soup

 

Pic3: the vegetables
Pic4: the soup
Pic5: breaded soup