New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 24 mussels (clams)
• 35 g bacon, diced
• 1 ½ onions (vegetable onions)
• 500 g potatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bunch of herbs (bouquet garnish)
• 400 ml water
• 475 ml milk
• 200 ml sweet cream
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

mussel soup

Carefully clean the mussels (discard any with damaged shells) and place them in a saucepan with the 300 ml of water and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil and simmer with the lid on for about 10 minutes, until the shells have opened. Then remove from the heat, pour half of the stock into a bowl, discard the bouquet garni, and let the mussels cool on a plate. Discard any mussels that have not opened. Finely chop the onions. Peel and dice the potatoes. Fry the ham cubes in a large saucepan until the fat has disappeared. Add the onions and sauté for 8-10 minutes until translucent and soft. Add the mussel stock, bay leaf, and potatoes. Remove the mussels from their shells with a fork and roughly halve or third them – be careful not to cut them too finely. Add the mussels to the soup and simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are tender. Combine the milk and cream and heat briefly in a small saucepan. Remove the bay leaf, add about half of the potatoes and onions (no mussels!) and two to three ladles of the broth to a bowl, and purée thoroughly with an immersion blender. Stir the purée and the warm milk and cream mixture back into the soup and bring to a simmer, stirring gently and continuously. Ladle into soup bowls or attractive earthenware dishes and garnish with the parsley. Serve with baguette white bread and a dry Californian white wine.