Cream of Mussel Soup with Marrow Dumplings
This light cream soup flavored with mussels includes the luxurious extra touch of marrow quenelles, poached in chicken stock. Because you will cook many mussels to flavor the broth, you will have the added bonus of extra mussels to serve at another time. Keep them sealed in plastic wrap and cold in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, and serve cold or heated with a garlic-flavored sauce.
Ingredients
- Quenelles
- Beef Marrow - 4 ounces
- Dry Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup
- Cream of Wheat or Semolina - 1 tablespoon, uncooked
- Mixed Chopped Parsley and Chervil - 1 tablespoon
- Egg Yolks - 2
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- Chicken Stock - 1 quart
- Fresh Mussels - 2 pounds, scrubbed and debearded
- Unsalted Butter - 5 tablespoons
- Shallots - 3, peeled and chopped
- Dry white wine - dry white wine
- Chicken Stock - 1-1/2 quarts
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1 cup
- Egg Yolks - 6
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Chives or Parsley - 1 tablespoon, chopped
Instructions
To prepare the quenelles: In a small bowl, using a fork, puree the marrow. Mix in the bread crumbs, cream of wheat or semolina, parsley and chervil, and egg yolks. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the nutmeg. Mix thoroughly. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a thin rope, about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces and form into 3/4-inch ovals (quenelles). Heat the chicken stock to boiling in a saucepan and slip the quenelles into the stock. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside; keep warm.
To prepare the mussels: Squeeze each mussel in your hand and discard those that open. Also discard any that are filled with sand. Wash the mussels in 2 to 3 changes of cool water.
In a saute pan, melt the butter and add the mussels. Saute the mussels for 1 minute and 45 seconds. Add the shallots and cook 30 seconds. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Cook until the mussels are done, about 1 minute. Drain through a colander, capturing the cooking liquid. Discard any mussels which never opened. Select the 12 finest mussels from the pan, remove the shells, and set the mussels aside for garnish. Refrigerate the remaining mussels and use for another purpose.
Strain the liquid from the pan into a saucepan. Add the chicken stock to the saucepan and bring just to the boiling point. Keep hot.
In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, whisk the cream and egg yolks together, whisking constantly until the mixture is frothy. Continuing to whisk constantly, slowly add the hot mussel liquid. Continue to cook without boiling until the soup thickens slightly. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve: Place the quenelles in a soup tureen and pour the soup over them. Place two of the reserved mussels in each shallow soup bowl. At the table, ladle soup and quenelles into the bowls around the mussels. Sprinkle with the chopped chives or parsley.
