Mussel Soup With Aïoli And Saffron

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
• 3 leeks (white and pale green parts only) chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 1/2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup Fino sherry
• 2 cups fish stock (don't use clam juice!)
• 1/1/2 cups Aioli (http://www.food52.com/recipes...crabbeignetswithaolidippingsauce)
• 3 pounds mussels steamed and removed from their shells

1. Heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, leeks, celery, bell pepper, bay leaf and saffron to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes. Add wine, fish stock and salt to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Puree mixture in batches in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Then force it through a tamis or fine sieve. You may wish to process the vegetable mixture a second time and again work the resulting liquid through the tamis. Soup can be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Return to the simmer before continuing.
3. Stir aioli into the soup. Add mussels to the soup and simmer until just heated through, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf from soup.
4. Serve the soup in large shallow soup plates with croutes. (These are slices of toasted baguette.)
5. Teacher's Tip:tScrub and debeard mussels just before steaming. If done too far in advance, the mussels may die. Discard any mussels which do not close after tapping.
6. Wine Tip: Serve an excellent Fino Sherry with this soup. It makes a fabulous first course as well as a luscious luncheon or Sunday night supper entree.

extravirgin olive oil, carrots, leeks, celery stalks, red bell peppers, bay leaf, saffron threads, salt, sherry, fish stock, mussels

Taken from food52.com/recipes/19171-mussel-soup-with-aioli-and-saffron (may not work)