This rich, creamy fisherman’s stew is thickened with garlicky mayonnaise. Although usually made with a mixture of fish and shellfish, it’s also sensational with mussels only.

4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 1½ C. chopped)
4 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and minced
1 large pinch saffron, crushed
6 C. fish stock (or 4 C. fish stock and 2 C. dry white wine)
4 large, vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled and seeded, with juice; or 14½-oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
2 tsp. finely minced parsley
1 tsp. finely minced orange zest
1 tsp. anise-flavored liqueur (or ½ tsp. anise seeds, crushed with mortar and pestle)
2 pounds small Northwest mussels, cleaned and debearded
½ C. Aioli (or Mayonnaise with 1 clove minced garlic)
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tsp. finely minced parsley
½ C. Aioli (or Mayonnaise with 1 clove minced garlic)

To prepare soup base, in a large casserole (preferably enameled cast-iron), heat olive oil, and add onions, garlic, and saffron. Cover and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened. Add fish stock, tomatoes, parsley, orange zest, and anise-flavored liqueur.
To steam mussels, arrange mussels on top of soup base, cover, and bring to a simmer.
Cook for 4 minutes, and check to see if mussels have opened. With a slotted spoon, remove those that are open to a bowl, and keep warm. If there are unopened mussels remaining, replace the lid, and simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes. (Mussels that don’t open were probably dead to begin with and should be discarded.) Remove the last of the mussels and keep warm with the rest. Simmer the soup base, uncovered, for 15 minutes or so to intensify the flavors and evaporate the alcohol in the wine. To finish, just before serving, add egg yolks to ½ C. Aioli, and then gradually add some of the hot soup base, whisking constantly.
Pour egg-enriched Aioli back into the soup pot, and heat slowly, until soup thickens slightly. (Don’t bring near a simmer or egg yolks will curdle, leaving an unpleasant gritty texture.)
Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, fill individual bowls with mussels (in their shells), and ladle hot soup base over each. Garnish with a sprinkling of parsley, and serve hot with the remaining Aioli on the side.