2024-11-14 12:58:50
ALL SOUPS AND STEWS BENEFIT FROM A NIGHT IN THE FRIDGE. THE PROCESS OF LAYERING FLAVORS TOUCHES ON ALCHEMY, AS CHILLING AND REWARMING BRING EVERYTHING INTO BALANCE AND ADD A COMPLEXITY THAT IS SIMPLY NOT PRESENT WHEN FRESH OFF THE STOVE. OH, AND MAKE AHEAD FOR EASY SERVICE TOMORROW? YES, PLEASE. ENTERTAINING MADE SATISFYING AND SIMPLE.
Mussels and butternut squash may not be a traditional pairing, yet in the winter months, they create a striking combination. Most often butternut squash’s sweetness comes to us in a purée, but here I leave it in chunks, enhanced by caramelized onions and a touch of miso, to form a rich, golden broth that’s balanced by the briny depth of mussels. A drizzle of tarragon oil elevates this dish into something elegant yet comforting.
Serves 6–8
2 cups white or rosé wine
2 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
12 clams, topneck or littleneck
10 bay leaves (or just 1—I buy bay leaves by the pound and use them profusely)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups of cubes), all trim and skin reserved
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced, all trim reserved
1/2 ounce dried kelp
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons white miso paste (I use a chickpea miso)
For the tarragon oil
2 ounces fresh tarragon, thick stems discarded
Salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1. In a large pot, heat wine over medium heat. Add the mussels to the pot, cover, and cook until they open, about 5–7 minutes. Discard any mussels that remain closed. Remove the mussels from the broth and reserve.
2. Repeat with the clams. Deshell all but a few of each, reserving the meats.
3. To the clam-mussel broth, add the butternut and onion trim, kelp, and 8 cups of water. Simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat, then strain, reserving the liquid and discarding the solids.
4. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add the butter and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and caramelized, 20–30 minutes.
5. Add the butternut squash and coriander. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften.
6. Pour in the reserved broth, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and stir in the miso paste until fully dissolved.
8. Add the mussel and clam meats and season with salt.
9. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped tarragon and a drizzle of tarragon oil if desired.
For the tarragon oil
1. Blanch the tarragon in heavily salted boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove and chill under cold running water.
2. Place the tarragon, salt, and oil in a blender and purée until smooth.
3. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much oil as possible.
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