Recipes and Information: Service for 4

Featured Recipe:

Slice the leek down the middle and clean out all the sand and grit that may be between the fibers. Chop the leeks, potatoes and onion coarsely.

Heat up a large pot on a medium heat and add 2 T of olive oi. When the pot is warm add the garlic, onions, leeks, and thyme and sauté very slowly for about 6 minutes until the onions become soft and translucent. Add the potatoes and sweat for a further two minutes on a medium heat before adding the salt and pepper; Add the vegetable stock and turn the heat down to a low heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Add the cream to the soup and bring back to the boil; When the soup boils remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. blend using a hand blender or food processor. Blend until smooth then pass the soup through a sieve if you desire a smoother texture.

For the mussels

Add 1 T of oil to a hot pot. Add the cleaned mussels to the hot oil Add the white wine and cover the pot. Cook until the mussels have opened.

With a slotted spoon, remove the opened mussels from the pot and set aside in a large bowl. . Steam any closed ones another 1 or 2 minutes to see if they'll open. Discard any mussels that remain closed. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl through a strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth to trap any grit from the mussels. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavor then add the reduced liquid to the soup.

Assembly

Remove the mussels from their shells. Leave 4 mussels per serving for garnish. Garnish as shown above with chopped parsely and chives.

OPTION 2:

Do not puree the leeks with the potatoes. Instead add the diced leeks into the creamed potato soup. This will give an additional texture and taste to the soup.