Irish Cream of Mussel Soup
Submitted by kman1
Irish cream of mussel soup steams fresh mussels in white wine and fish stock with leek and celery, then enriches the strained broth with cream for a silky, briny seafood bisque.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minA coastal Irish soup that takes advantage of the rich mussel beds along the country’s western shores. The technique is restaurant-grade French in its bones (steam, strain, reduce, cream-finish) but the spirit is straight Irish pub. The mussels do the seasoning themselves: as they steam open in white wine and fish stock, they release their salty liquor into the broth and that becomes the soup’s flavor.
Buying matters more than cooking here. Look for mussels with tightly closed shells. Open shells before cooking mean dead mussels and dead mussels will ruin the pot. Tap any open shell against the counter; if it does not close within a minute, throw it out.
The double strain is the mark of a chef-quality finish. Once through a colander to catch the chunks, then through fine mesh to clarify, leaves a glossy, clear broth. Reducing for five minutes concentrates the flavor before the cream goes in. Returning the shucked mussel meat to the soup at the end keeps the meat tender; longer cooking turns it rubbery.
A side plate of leftover mussels in their shells with the cooked vegetables is the rustic Irish touch. It signals that nothing goes to waste.
Chef Tips
- Scrub mussels under cold running water and pull the wiry beards off before cooking. Beards add grit to the broth.
- Strain the broth through cheesecloth-lined mesh for the silkiest possible texture.
- Do not boil the soup after adding cream. High heat splits dairy and you get curdled, broken soup.
- Serve immediately. The cream emulsion holds for about 20 minutes; longer and the soup separates.
Variations
- Substitute heavy cream with crème fraîche for tangier richness against the briny mussels.
- Add a pinch of saffron during the reduction for a Mediterranean-leaning bisque.
- Stir in a tablespoon of Irish whiskey right at the end for a smoky, regional note.
Ingredients
Directions
Note: When buying mussels look for small ones that have tightly closed shells - a sign that they are alive and thus fresher.
Place mussels, wine and fish stock in a stock pot.
Add chopped vegetables.
Cover and shake to stir contents. Cook on high heat 4 to 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes shake pot again, remove lid and strain contents into a colander, catching liquid in a bowl.
Then strain soup liquid again through a wire mesh strainer into a saucepan.
Over high heat, boil and reduce soup for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the mussel meat from most of the shells, leaving some mussel shells intact for serving as a side dish with the chopped vegetables.
Pour the heavy cream into reduced soup.
Whisk while maintaining the high heat.
Add mussel meat slowly. Whisk gently. Then continue to stir with a soup ladle until it boils.
Ladle soup into soup bowls.
Add sprigs of chervil to top of soup for garnish.
Serve the remaining mussels on the side with an array of the cooked chopped vegetables.
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