Recipes

Chosen from The Eagle Cookbook by David Eyre et al, this Spicy Mussel Soup comes courtesy of chef Ed Mottershaw. He writes "A wonderfully fragrant soup that is ideal as a light lunch or supper dish. The long, slow cooking time results in an intense combination of classic Mediterranean flavours."

Serves 4-6

    5 tbsp olive oil
    3 red chillies (deseeded if you don't want the heat), chopped
    6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    3 x 400g cans tomatoes, drained and juice discarded
    1kg live mussels, scrubbed, rinsed and beards removed
    100ml white wine
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    Bruschetta, to serve

Method

In a large pan, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil over a medium heat and fry the chopped chilli, garlic and anchovies, but do not allow them to brown. Add the tomatoes to the pan, cover but leave the lid ajar, reduce the heat and leave to cook gently.

Discard any mussels that do not close when tapped. Put them in a large pan with the remaining olive oil, wine and 100ml water, cover and bring to the boil. Steam the mussels for 5-6 minutes, until the shells open. Drain, reserving the cooking liquor and discard any shells that haven't opened. Set the cooked mussels to one side.

Add the mussel cooking liquor to the tomatoes and break them up using a potato masher. Cooker over a low heat for about 1 1/2 hours - until the tomatoes and oil separate.

Season the soup to taste. Return the cooked mussels to the pan and heat them through until piping hot. Serve the soup with bruschetta.