This dish is a crowd favourite at KIN, inspired by a hot and sour seafood soup. The clear broth with its rich flavour always impresses people. One note is to ensure you have a clove of garlic and some salt each time you blitz your tomatoes; this will give a better yield at the end as it helps break down the tomatoes. We serve ours with tomato oil and tomato powder to boost the tomato flavour, but they are not necessary to still have a wonderful dish. Enjoy.

SERVES: 6

TIME: 1 HOUR

INGREDIENTS

TOMATO WATER

• 1.5kg large red tomatoes
• 3 cloves peeled garlic
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
• Juice of two limes
• 5g salt

PICKLED DAIKON

• 1 large daikon
• 250g sugar
• 300ml rice wine vinegar (other kinds of vinegar work as well)
• 200ml water

TOMATO BROTH

• All of your tomato water
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1 large chili
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
• A thumb-sized piece of ginger
• Fish sauce to taste
• Caster sugar to taste
• Lime juice to taste
• 2kg mussels (cleaned and debearded)

METHOD

• Cut tomatoes, then place everything into a blender; you might need to do this in stages.
• Blitz until pureed, then strain. The slower the tomato water drips through, the clearer the broth will be.
• Peel and cut the daikon into thin batons, placing them into a heatproof container.
• Bring sugar, vinegar, and water to a boil until the sugar dissolves.
• Pour the hot liquid over the daikon and let it sit until cool on the bench.
• Place everything except the fish sauce, sugar, and lime into a large pot that can hold the mussels as well.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.
• Season the broth with fish sauce, sugar, and lime, starting with a small amount of each, then adjust to your taste.
• Add the cleaned mussels to the pot and poach until they open up and cook through.

TO SERVE

• At the bottom of each bowl, add your cooled daikon batons along with some fresh herbs; Thai basil and Vietnamese mint work well.
• Divide the mussels into the bowl.
• Strain the broth so no one gets any shell, large pieces of lemongrass, or ginger.
• Pour your hot broth over the mussels and enjoy.

Find this recipe highlighted in The Agehere. Best enjoyed with a glass of ourNV All Saints Estate Excentrique SparklingorNV St Leonards Vineyard Sparkling Brut.