• Mussel bisque with chilli toasts

    Serves: 4
    Cooking Time: 30 mins

    Ingredients

    • 20g (2 tbsp) butter
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 2 leeks, chopped
    • 2 celery stalks, chopped
    • 1 carrot, finely chopped
    • 2 fresh bay leaves
    • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
    • 30ml (2 tbsp) tomato purée
    • 20 shelled mussels
    • 125ml (½ cup) dry white wine
    • 250ml (1 cup) fish stock
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • 45ml (3 tbsp) brandy
    • 45ml (3 tbsp) cake flour
    • 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream
    • CHILLI TOASTS

    • 20g (2 tbsp) butter
    • 1 chilli, seeded and finely chopped
    • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
    • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 2 thick slices bread, toasted

    Instructions

    1

    Heat the butter in a pot and sauté the onion, leeks, celery and carrot, 2 – 3 minutes.

    2

    Add the bay leaves, thyme and tomato purée, and continue to sauté, 2 – 3 minutes.

    3

    Mix in the mussels, wine and stock, simmer for about 15 minutes, and season.

    4

    Remove the mussels and keep warm.

    5

    Pour the remaining ingredients from the pot into a blender and blend until smooth.

    6

    Push the blended ingredients through a sieve and into a clean pot.

    7

    For the chilli toasts, cream together the butter, chilli, thyme and garlic until well combined and smooth. Use to spread on the toasted bread.

    8

    Reheat the bisque, add the brandy and sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Beat to make sure that no lumps form. Add the mussels to the pot together with the cream. Adjust the seasoning just before serving.

    9

    Serve the bisque hot with chilli toast.