There is something special about a hand-written recipe that a family member or friend shares. I have a tin Land O’Lakes recipe box that was given to me by my Aunt Clara, my mother’s sister, probably back in the 70s. I don’t remember receiving it, but when I did an internet search for the item, I discovered many for sale on eBay and Etsy, and most were in considerably better shape than mine. As you can see, mine is dented and rusted, but very much loved. Additionally, the contents of mine are rather tattered and worn from use. Most of the recipes are not preserved on tidy little recipe index cards, but on folded sheets of paper. Some time ago, I added a folder that is also now overflowing. I like to leaf through it from time to time, and recently rediscovered a fish soup recipe written out in cursive from my mom.
Ingredients
3-4 lbs. fresh mussels
2 T. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Chardonnay
16 oz. chicken stock
28 oz. can tomato puree
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup dry macaroni
1 lb. cod
5 or 6 basil leaves, chopped
4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
Directions
Rinse mussels, remove beards, and discard any with cracked shells. Add one cup of water and mussels to a large pot. Steam for 5-7 minutes until the shells have opened. Discard shells that have not opened. Drain liquid from mussels and set both aside to cool. Rinse and dry your large pot. Heat olive oil in the large pot on medium and saute onions until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.
Remove the mussels from the shells while your onions cook. Set aside.
Add the liquid from steaming the mussels, the can of tomato puree, the chicken stock, and the wine to the large pot along with the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and pour in the dry macaroni. After 4 or 5 minutes add the cod, cooked mussels, and basil. The cod is cooked when it begins to fall apart, again in that magical 5 minutes. Your macaroni should now be cooked. Lastly, add the spinach. Your soup will be ready to serve within a couple minutes as the spinach cooks quickly.
This recipe yields 4 dinner servings. If you like, top with grated parmesan cheese. There are many possible variations to this soup. My mom made hers with shrimp instead of mussels, you can spice it up with red pepper flakes, or substitute a grain for the pasta.
