A recipe from Gill Meller.
Ingredients
- 1-1.2 kg fresh live mussels 1-1.2 kg
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- a bunch flat leaf parsley leaves picked and chopped, stalks reserved
- 1 knob butter
- 150 g pancetta cubed, or streaky bacon cut into pieces
- ½ tsp coriander seeds toasted and crushed
- 2 plump garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 medium leek trimmed, halved and thinly sliced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 500 ml fish or vegetable stock
- 150 ml double cream
Servings:
Instructions
- Give the mussels a quick rinse under cold running water. You’ll need to pull away the grey beards and knock off any barnacles using the back of a knife . Discard any mussel shells that fail to close after a tap.
- Place a large heavy-based pan with a tight fitting lid over a high heat. Add 150ml of water and the bay leaves and parsley stalks.
- When the water is boiling rapidly add the mussels, give the pan a shake and pop the lid on. Cook for 2-3 minutes, giving the pan a further shake, until the mussel shells are all open.
- Remove the pan from the heat and immediately tip the mussels out into a large colander set over a bowl to catch the cooking liquid. Don’t forget the bowl or pour the mussel liquor down the sink. It’s an important part of the soup.
- Rinse the pan out and return it to a medium heat. Drop in the butter and when it’s bubbling add the pancetta or bacon and fry it slowly until it’s just beginning to crisp around its edges.
- Now add the coriander seeds, garlic and leek along with some salt and pepper, and carry on cooking, stirring occasionally, until the leek is soft and silky, about 8 minutes.
- Add the mussel cooking liquor (except the last few drops which can sometimes be gritty) and the stock. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Pick the meat out of the mussel shells, keeping a few intact to garnish, and set to one side. Add the cream to the soup and bring back to a simmer. Now add the mussels and chopped parsley, and plenty of black pepper and salt to taste.
- Arrange the reserved shells in the base of four warm bowls. Ladle over the hot soup and serve at once.
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