Breton Billi Bi (Soupe De Moules Au Safran) Recipe

• 1/2 bot dry white white (preferably Muscadet, the only wine of Brittany, but dry vermouth is fine)
• 1 x bouquet garni consisting of Thyme plus Parsley plus
• 1 x Bay leaf tied together or possibly wrapped in foil then pierced with a fork
• 1 c. water
• 2 lb mussels (in the shell)
• 1/2 tsp saffron
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 x leeks, white only cut into slivers
• 2 x carrots peeled, and cut into very fine slivers (like the leeks)
• 3/4 c. heavy cream
• 2 x egg yolks beaten
• 1 dsh Tabasco sauce Salt to taste Freshly-grnd black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp. finely-chopped tarragon for garnish

1. Mix the wine, bouquet garni, and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. After you've scrubbed and debearded the mussels, as needed, drop them into the saucepan, cover, and shake them over high heat till they open - just a few min.
3. Drain them through a sieve lined with coffee filters, catching the broth underneath.
4. Ladle some of the broth into a bowl with the saffron in it - and let sit to make a strong infusion.
5. Shell the mussels.
6. Cut the leeks and carrots into fine slivers (so which they're easy to eat with a soupspoon).
7. Heat the butter in a large saucepan, then add in the slivers and cook covered on medium low heat, letting them sweat till tender.
8. Add in the broth and bring to a boil.
9. Stir in the saffron infusion, the cream, the Tabasco sauce, and season to taste.
10. Let bubble for some 5 min, then reduce heat.
11. Mix a ladleful with the beaten egg yolks, to make a liaison, then stir back into the pot and let thicken over a low heat for several min.
12. When the soup has thickened, stir in the mussels and let hot in the simmering liquid for a few min.
13. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each with finely chopped tarragon.
14. Serve warm to 4 as a first course to an elegant meal.
15. Comments: Do not be afraid of picking up those plastic bags full of mussels at the grocery - the mussels are clean, often debearded, and whip up into a smashing soup in no time.
16. This Breton soup, for example, is pretty easy and quick for being such a showstopping beauty.
17. And it's no wonder: the north coast of Brittany, from that this soup came, is so thick with these shellfish, you can just run down to beach and pick them fresh from the rocks.

white white, bouquet garni consisting of thyme, bay leaf tied together, water, mussels, saffron, butter, leeks, carrots, heavy cream, egg yolks, tabasco sauce salt, tarragon

Taken from cookeatshare.com/recipes/breton-billi-bi-soupe-de-moules-au-safran-92158 (may not work)