Canary Bean and Mussel Soup

A few days ago I wrote about getting mussels in a 10 lb bag in the post about Spicy Seafood Stew.  After I made that stew I still had 5 lbs of mussels in the refrigerator.  Being a frugal sort, I decided to go ahead and steam the remaining mussels in a pot with more white wine lest any go bad while I was deciding how to use them.  They were steamed using the method discussed here, Mussels in White Wine


After the mussels were steamed, I picked the meat from the shells and stored them in the wine broth for later use.  The wine and mussel liquor came to a little over 2 cups.


As for using the canary beans, I found them at our favorite ethnic grocery store, Grand Mart.  I was on the side of the store that is primarily foods from Hispanic regions and saw a good selection of dried beans.  Since the pressure cooker makes quick work of dried beans, I decided to see if there were some we hadn't tried before.  That's how I came to have canary beans at the house.


Of course with cold weather soup seemed to be a natural choice.  Having the primary ingredients on hand it was just a matter of deciding on additions to help flavor the soup.  This soup is the result.


Canary Bean and Mussel Soup


1 1/2 cup dried canary beans
meat from 5 lbs of mussels, steamed
4 - 6 oz bacon, diced
1 medium onion, finely minced
2 cups white wine broth from steaming mussels
2 cups water
2 - 3 bay leaves


Put dried beans in pressure cooker with the diced bacon and minced onion.  Pour in the white wine broth and water and stir.  Add the bay leaves and stir.  Put the lid on the pressure cooker and set timer to cook 40 minutes under pressure.  Allow pressure to naturally release.  Stir in mussels and let set until the mussels come up to the temperature of the soup.  Taste broth and add salt and pepper if desired.  Serve with hot crusty bread.  Makes 4 servings.




Canary bean and mussel soup

Cooking the canary beans with the pressure cooker for 40 minutes left them with a firm texture.  Next time I may add a few minutes to get the beans a bit softer.  They weren't under done they were just a bit firmer than we usually eat.  They were a nice contrast to the soft texture of the mussels.


If you don't have a pressure cooker then soak the beans over night and make the soup in a slow cooker.


For the bread I used the same recipe referenced in the link above with the same changes.  The changes are after proofing and bake time.  After proofing divide the dough in half and roll into long loaves.  Use the same time for the second proofing.  Bake at the same temp but only for 25 - 30 minutes.


We finished this soup last night.  It reheated well and as usual the flavors melded to make the soup better the second time.  A slow reheat also kept the mussels from getting tough.


Give this soup a try as a way to get more beans into your diet, not to mention an excellent use for mussels.  I think you'll like this soup.  If you fix it, let me know how you liked it.


Uncle T

Mussels in White Wine

One of our favorite ways to eat mussels is to cook them in white wine then serve them with some fresh hot crusty bread.  This is a simple method but the results are outstanding.  I wasn't going to write about this but it was requested.


You need to make sure your mussels are clean and still living.  If you are lucky, you can get your mussels at a fish market where they are loose and the fish monger will cull them for you.  Most places seem to sell them in 2 lb bags.  I recommend getting 1 lb per person.  The culling process is simple, make sure they are closed tight.  If they are gaping, tap them on the counter to see if they close.  If they don't, set them aside.  I'll also say wait till you're ready to cook them before you cull them so you can clean them at the same time.  To clean them, rinse off any loose sand or barnacles and remove the beards.  The beards look like wiry tangles sticking out of the shell.  Just grab it and pull.  Once you have culled and cleaned all your mussels give them a final rinse.

Mussels cleaned and ready to steam

 As for the wine, use one that you would like to drink.  As a matter of fact, a glass of the same wine you cook them with is a nice accompaniment.  Remember, don't think you have to look for a certain price point on a bottle of wine to get a good one.  A really good wine can be had for $10 - $12.  If you are not familiar with white wines, go to a store that has a Sommelier or at least a store that wine is their business.  Let them know what you are wanting the wine for and your price range and they'll be able to point you to some good choices.

A good white wine for mussels

You will also need some fresh herbs for your bouquet garni.  There are specific herbs and amounts to use if you want a traditional French bouquet garni but you can use what you want in your own cooking.  A bouquet garni is nothing more than a bundle of fresh herbs to provide flavor and aroma that is removed prior to serving.  The simplest way to make it is to put your herbs together and tie the bundle with two pieces of cotton kitchen twine.  Make sure you use 100% cotton twine.

Thyme, Sage, Rosemary, Basil

Mussels in White Wine


Mussels, cleaned, 1 - 1.5 lbs per person
4 - 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 - 3 Tbs olive oil
bouquet garni
     Sage
     Basil
     Thyme
     Rosemary
White Wine, 1/2 bottle


Put olive oil and garlic in a large skillet and turn on medium heat.  Cook garlic until it starts smelling good.  Add the bouquet garni and heat it, turning it so all sides are in the heat.  Pour in the half bottle of wine and increase heat to med-high.  Once the wine starts to simmer, add the mussels and cover the skillet.  Let the mussels steam for 2 minutes then remove lid and stir the mussels around and replace lid.  Let them steam another 2 minutes or until all the mussels are open.  Spoon the mussels into wide bowls and divide the broth between them.  Serve with hot crusty bread.

Freshly steamed mussels ready to serve

I've also done them adding a minced shallot along with the garlic.  Looking at recipes online a lot of chef types like to add lots of things to the pan.  My method lets the mussels and wine combine so they are the stars.  After all, why add chicken broth or red pepper flakes, as they'll change or over power the flavor of the mussels.  I think chefs sometimes let their training get out of hand and they try to do too much.  Sometimes they need to remember a classic is a classic for a reason and not every dish needs a new flair.

A wonderful supper

The bread I usually make is a variation on this recipe, Skillet Bread.  I alter the final process and make French bread loaves.  The changes are after proofing and bake time.  After proofing divide the dough in half and roll into long loaves.  Use the same time for the second proofing.  Bake at the same temp but only for 25 - 30 minutes.This bread also reheats well if you happen to have any left.


Nothing here is new or innovative when it comes to mussels but I do believe that the simplicity of this recipe is what makes the dish worth it.  Sometimes doing less is more.


If you've not tried mussels before then this is a good dish to start with.  It comes together quickly and it gets you involved with your meal by having to hold the shell while you get the meat out.  Give this a try and let me know what you think.


Uncle T

Spicy Seafood Stew

One of the benefits of living in coastal Virginia is the availability of a wide array of fresh seafood.  Plus, if a particular seafood isn't available locally we are close enough to get it shipped fresh and still maintain a high quality.  This brings us to mussels.


The good wife and I got introduced to mussels while stationed in Germany.  After all, they weren't very common in Tennessee when we were growing up.  Once we got back to the states we found that we'd have to get fresh mussels and prepare them ourselves if we wanted them since their use is not common in most American restaurants.  That said, when we find mussels for a good price we snatch them up and indulge ourselves.


Normally, we do mussels in a white wine sauce with some good crusty bread.  However, the good price we found was for a 10 lb bag so I get to play around more.  Since it is getting cold soups and stews feature prominently in our menu so it was only natural to use the mussels in a soup or stew.  I looked around at various recipes and thought about what else I had available and came up with this recipe.

Harvest tag indicating where the mussels were harvested

Be sure to clean the mussels before you put them in the stew.  Cleaning mussels is fairly simple, make sure there is no loose sand on the shell and pull off the beards.  Also at this time discard any that are gaping open and won't close when handled.


2 lbs of mussels, cleaned and ready for the pot

1 lb each of cod and shrimp, ready for the pot

Spicy Seafood Stew


1 lb hot Italian sausage
1 lb cod or other firm white fish
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed optional
2 lbs mussels
1 large onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups fish broth
6 cups chicken broth, optional
3 Tbs fish sauce, optional


Brown sausage in a deep pot and break it up to desired size.  If you get sausage in casings remove the casings.  Remove the browned sausage from the pot.  Put the onion and garlic in the sausage grease and sauté until translucent.  Add the tomato paste and stir together.  Cook until the tomato paste has darkened a bit then add the diced tomatoes.  Cook until the tomatoes start to simmer then add the wine and fish broth.  Bring to a simmer.  If you don't have or can't find fish broth you can use chicken broth and the fish sauce to make a substitute.  Once the liquid is simmering return the sausage to the pot.  Stir to mix and return to a simmer.  Add the cod, cut into 1 inch pieces, and cook for 1 - 2 minutes.  Add the mussels and gently stir and cook for 1 - 2 minutes.  Add the shrimp and gently stir then cook until the shrimp are done.  The shrimp should be done in about 3 minutes.  Ladle into a bowl and serve with crusty bread.  This makes 4 - 6 servings.

A nice bowl of spicy seafood stew

This stew ends up being nicely spiced but not so much that the seafood is over shadowed.  The broth is excellent sopped up with the bread.  I think an excellent substitution would be using Spanish chorizo in place of the hot Italian sausage.  You would just need to add some olive oil to the pot so you'd be able to sauté the onions.


The next time you're wanting a good stew then give this one a try.  Too many stores have decent fish markets now not to try it.  If you do try it let me know how it turns out.


Uncle T