Winter Mussel Soup with Root Vegetables - James Martin Chef

Ingredients

• 600g mussels
• 25g butter
• 1 shallot, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 leek, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 fennel, diced
• 1 tsp saffron
• 150ml white wine
• 100ml double cream
• 1 small bunch parsley
• 4 tomatoes
• Crème fraiche
• Herb oil
• Celery tops
• Pan fried brill
• Sweat the shallot, garlic and bay in the butter and add the wine and mussels.
• When cooked, drain the liquid and remove the mussels from the shell.
• In the same pan, add the veg and saffron with a knob of butter. Put the cooking liquid in with the cream, bring to the boil add ½ the mussels.
• Blend until smooth, pop them into a pan to warm and season.
• To serve, spoon into a bowl, pop in the mussels, drizzle with crème fraiche and herb oil and sprinkle celery tops over.