Cream of Cauliflower and Mussel Soup
(Crema di Cavolfiore e Cozze)
Ingredients:
2 and 1/4 lbs (1 kg) mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
1 oz (25 grams) butter
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
Juice of 1 lemon, strained
3 and 1/2 fl oz (100 ml) double cream
Salt and pepper
Croutons, to serve (optional)
Directions:
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the shallot and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
Add the parsley and lemon juice.
Get rid of any mussels with broken shells or that do not shut immediately when tapped.
Add the mussels to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes until the mussel shells open.
Strain the mussels, reserving the cooking liquid.
Discard any mussels that remain closed and remove the rest from their shells.
Strain the cooking liquid into a sauce pan, add 1 and 3/4 pints (1 liter) of water and bring to a boil.
Add the cauliflower florets and cook for another 15 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process to a puree.
Pour into a clean pan, add the cream and mussels and season with salt and pepper.
Reheat for another 5 minutes, pour into a soup tureen and serve with croutons if you like. Serves 4.