Innkeeper's Mussel Chowder

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 5 lbs mussels, in shells
• 1 cup dry wine or 1 cup water
• 1 lb thin-skinned potato
• 1 onion (1/2 lb.)
• 1 stalk celery (3 oz.)
• 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups whipping cream
• salt and pepper

Recipe

• 1 scrub mussels in cool water and pull off beards; discard any whose shells don't close when tapped.
• 2 in an 8- to 10-quart pan, combine mussels and wine; bring to a boil over high heat. cover and simmer over medium heat until mussels open, 5 to 8 minutes.
• 3 pour into a colander set in a large bowl to collect juices.
• 4 let mussels stand until cool enough to touch.
• 5 meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
• 6 peel and chop onion. rinse celery and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• 7 in the pan used for mussels, melt butter over medium heat.
• 8 add onion and celery; stir often until onion is limp, 6 to 8 minutes.
• 9 add curry powder and basil; stir until spices become more fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• 10 pour mussel juices from bowl into pan.
• 11 add tomato sauce, cream, and potatoes.
• 12 turn heat to high; when mixture is boiling, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes.
• 13 meanwhile, remove mussels from shells; discard shells.
• 14 add mussels to soup; cover and simmer just until mussels are hot, 3 to 5 minutes.
• 15 add salt and pepper to taste.
• 16 ladle into bowls.