Mussel soup with saffron

We know Bart van Olphen, among other things, from his 15-second cooking videos on Instagram. Now, you won’t manage this recipe in 15 seconds.

But we do have a secret tip to turn it into the mussel soup à la Bocuse (& Bart).

Preparation
Wash the mussels and remove any broken ones. Heat the oil in a saucepan and sweat the onion, garlic and celery over medium heat until translucent and soft. Add half of the wine and, after 15 seconds, the mussels. Shake the pan vigorously, turn the heat up high and cover the pan.
Cook the mussels until they have opened, then remove them from the pan. Strain the cooking liquid through cheesecloth, leaving behind any sand residue. Discard the vegetables. Remove the mussel meat from the shells and set aside.

Melt the butter in the pan. Add the leek and fennel and sweat them over low heat until the vegetables are translucent but not browned. Add the mussel liquid, the remaining wine, the stock and the saffron, and stir well. Simmer the soup gently for 20–25 minutes.

Strain the soup, discard the vegetables, pour it back into the pan and place it over low heat. Stir in the cream and gently bring the soup to a boil. Simmer gently for another 5 minutes. Now add the mussel meat and cook the soup for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and divide the soup among the bowls. Garnish with chives.

And now for the finishing touch: add small cubes of peeled, briefly blanched tomato and some crème fraîche, and you have mussel soup à la Bocuse.

Recipe: Het Zeeuwse Mosselkookboek by Bart van Olphen
Photography: David Loftus
Photography of mussel soup à la Bocuse: Marjan Ippel