Creamy Steamed Mussels Soup Amuse Bouche
Creamy Steamed Mussels Soup made with white wine, garlic, and herbs is an elegant amuse bouche served in a shot glass. It's the perfect taster to delight guests at a dinner party.
Equipment
- 1 Large saucepan Must have a tight-fitting lid
- 1 Sieve Add muslin cloth to help remove grit
- 8 shot glasses Or small bowls for serving
Ingredients
Steamed mussels
- 250 grams (8 oz) Live mussels allow more than needed as some might be dead
- 250 ml (0.85 cups) White wine
- 150 ml Vegetable stock /broth
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 stalks Parsley
- ½ Lemon
- 2 Star anise
- 1 teaspoon Whole peppercorns
Mussels soup
- 1 tablespoon Butter plus extra to finish
- 1 teaspoon Cooking oil
- 1 Shallot
- 3 Garlic cloves
- 350 ml Reserved cooking liquid Sieve to remove any grit
- 350 ml Cream (heavy cream or double cream)
- ½ Lemon
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Steamed mussels
- Clean the mussels in cold running water and discard any that remain open or have cracked or damaged shells.
- Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and wait for it to get hot before pouring in the mussels, wine, and stock. Add the bay leaves, parsley, star anise, peppercorns, and lemon, and add a tight-fitting lid immediately.
- Steam the mussels for a few minutes until they are all open, then strain them through a sieve, retaining the cooking liquid in a bowl underneath.
- Place the mussels in a bowl covered with foil.
Mussels soup
- Return the saucepan to the stovetop over medium heat and add the butter and oil.
- Saute the diced shallot and garlic until translucent, then add the reserved cooking water. Reduce the volume by half over high heat.
- Pour in the cream and reduce the volume by one third over high heat. Sieve the mussels soup to remove the shallot and garlic and return to the saucepan over low heat.
- Whisk in another tablespoon of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pour into shot glasses to serve.
- Top each amuse bouche with a mussel, and loosen it from its foot first to make it easier fo guests to eat from the shell.
Notes
- Overcooked mussels can be very rubbery, so only steam them very briefly just until the shells open.
- Mussels are bivalve filter feeders, so can be gritty. Make sure you sieve the cooking liquid and the soup well.
- You could replace the white wine with vermouth or a de-alcoholized white wine.
Nutrition
Calories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 137mgPotassium: 164mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 745IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg
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