Enhance your culinary repertoire with this exquisite dish. 

Enhance your culinary repertoire with this exquisite dish—Saffron Mussel Soup. Don't be discouraged by the list of ingredients; it involves the basic method of preparing mussels in the marinière style and layering it with the technique of making a velouté-style soup. The saffron and cream beautifully complement the natural richness of the mussels, resulting in a silky texture that you’ll want to savour.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

1 kg (2.2 lb) fresh mussels

20 g (0.7 oz) unsalted butter, to cook the mussels

40 g (1.5 oz) finely chopped shallots

1 handful of chopped parsley, plus more to garnish

150 ml dry white wine

30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter, to cook the onions

1 onion, finely diced

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 leek, white part only, finely sliced

1 fennel bulb, finely diced

20 g (0.7 oz) all-purpose flour

2 bay leaves

1 sprig of thyme

500 ml (2 cups) premade seafood or fish stock, or a homemade one

Pepper to season

100 g (3.5 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes

1 star anise

120 ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream

One pinch of saffron threads chopped finely

MISE EN PLACE

Prepare a large pot for cooking the mussels.

Wash and scrub the mussels to remove any grit stuck to the shells. Cut off the hairlike seaweed protruding from the clasp of the mussel, known as the beard.

Method

1. Heat the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the parsley and wine and increase the heat to high to bring the liquid to a boil.

2. Add the mussels to the pot, ensuring they are coated in the liquid by stirring with a wooden spoon. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the mussels for 6 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally.

3. Once the mussels are cooked, transfer them to a bowl and set them aside.

4. Filter the remaining cooking juices through a fine mesh sieve, or cheese cloth, into a bowl to remove any grit and reserve the liquid.

5. In a separate pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for two minutes before adding the carrots, leek, and fennel. Cook the vegetables on low, stirring occasionally, until they become soft and translucent (approximately 5 minutes). Now stir in the flour to thicken the ingredients slightly, then add the thyme and bay leaves.

6. Pour the mussel cooking juice and fish stock into the pot with the vegetables, followed by the chopped tomatoes. Stir to combine the ingredients and bring to a boil. Add a sprinkle of pepper and simmer for 15 minutes to concentrate the flavors and thicken the soup.

7. Filter the soup through a fine mesh sieve into a medium-sized saucepan, pressing the garnish firmly with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Place the saucepan over high heat and add the star anise, cream, and saffron. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then leave to simmer for a further 10 minutes.

8. To serve, place a handful of mussels (shell removed) in each serving bowl and ladle the soup over. Garnish with parsley and enjoy with a side of toasted baguette.