Ingredients

• 2kg/4lb 8oz fresh mussels in shells
• cleaned and beards removed
• 300ml/10½fl oz white wine
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot
• finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• finely chopped
• 1 fennel bulb
• roughly chopped
• 4 tsp curry powder
• 300ml/10½fl oz fish stock
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• salt and pepper
• 1 lemon
• juice only
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 carrot
• peeled and very finely chopped
• ½ fennel bulb
• very finely chopped
• ¼ leek
• very finely chopped
• 200g/7oz girolle mushrooms
• 1 white baguette
• sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp coriander cress
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

• For the spiced mussel soup
• if any mussels are opened
• tap them lightly on a hard surface. If they don't close
• discard them.
• Put the mussels in a saucepan
• add the white wine and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain
• reserving the cooking liquor
• and discard any closed mussels.
• Pick most of mussels from their shells
• keeping some in their shells for the garnish. Discard the shells.
• Heat a large frying pan and add the oil. Add the shallot
• garlic
• fennel and curry powder and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the stock
• three-quarters of the mussels and the cream.
• Cook for a further 3-4 minutes
• until warmed through
• then blend with a stick blender until smooth. Season with salt
• pepper and lemon juice
• to taste.
• Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Once hot
• add the carrot
• fennel and leek and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further two minutes.
• Meanwhile
• for the griddled toast
• heat a large griddle pan until hot. Drizzle the sliced bread with oil. Toast the bread on the griddle for 2-3 minutes.
• To serve
• pile the cooked carrot
• fennel
• leeks and mushrooms in the centre of shallow serving bowls and ladle the blended soup around the edge.
• Garnish with a swirls of olive oil
• coriander cress and the reserved mussels. Place the griddled toast on the side.