Saffron Mussel Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs live mussels
  
• 3/4 cup dry wine
  
• 1/4 cup butter
  
• 1 yellow onion
  
• 6 small leeks
  
• 1 lb potatoes
  
• 3 cups fish or vegetable stock
  
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron
  
• parsley to garnish

Directions:

Scrub and rinse mussels.
Steam mussels in wine in a covered pan until mussels open. (Approximately 5 minutes on high heat.)
Remove mussels from liquid, discarding any which failed to open.
Set aside both mussels and liquid.
Peel onion and potatoes.
Wash leeks thoroughly.
Dice onion, leeks and potatoes.
Fry vegetables in butter for five minutes.
Add stock and reserved wine/mussel juice and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat.
Add saffron.
Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
Purée soup in a blender or food processor.
Set aside some mussels in half shells -- one to garnish each bowl.
Discard shells from remaining mussels.
Divide mussels amongst soup bowls.
Ladle puréed soup over mussels.
Garnish each bowl with a mussel in half shell and a sprig of parsley.
Serve immediately.