mussel chowder

chef said:

Here in the uk clams are horrendously expensive , my wife and i love clam chowder{ with cream base
not tomato } and we do make it as a treat now and again . Has anyone ever tried substituting
mussels for clams ? Mussels are relatively cheap at the moment . If so give us a rough idea of
your recipee please. merry xmas ttfn andy please post as e mail is just aspam dump

Yes I used mussels all the time in any recipe requiring clams. About the only place I could get
genuinely fresh clams in London was in the Chinese fish market in Gerrard Street. Fresh mussels were
in every supermarket and always very cheap.

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 10:22:30 -0000, "chef" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Here in the uk clams are horrendously expensive , my wife and i love clam chowder{ with cream base
not tomato } and we do make it as a treat now and again . Has anyone ever tried substituting
mussels for clams ? Mussels are relatively cheap at the moment . If so give us a rough idea of your
recipee please. merry xmas ttfn andy please post as e mail is just aspam dump

Sure, you can make a cream type chowder with all sorts of seafood. I assume that by 'chowder' you
don't want the mussels served in their shells. I would start with diced smoked bacon in the pot,
chopped onion, diced potato.

I leave seasonings, herbs, peppers, etc to you.

Some, if not all the potato should be the sort (russets, for example) that disintegrates to thicken
the broth--no roux necessary or wanted.

When the onion is transparent use milk for initial liquid, and simmer until the potatoes are
nearly done.

Now you want to steam the mussels open. If you are sure they are free of grit you could just put
them in whole. My inclination is to open them in a separate pot with a little wine, or to zap them
open in the microwave.

Then add the strained mussel broth to the chowder, followed by the meat from the now open
mussels. Stir in your cream, creme fraiche, or whatever you choose, bring to a simmer, check
seasoning and serve.

Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

"In this house we _obey_ the laws of thermodynamics." --Homer Simpson

In article <[email hidden]>,
chef <[email hidden]> wrote:
:Here in the uk clams are horrendously expensive , my wife and i love clam
:chowder{ with cream base not tomato } and we do make it as a treat now and
:again . Has anyone ever tried substituting mussels for clams ?
: Mussels are relatively cheap at the moment . If so give us a rough idea of your recipee please.
: merry xmas ttfn andy please post as e mail is just aspam dump
:
:

check out recipes for 'billy bi'. this as i recall is the name which was applied to a mussel
chowder at the faculty club at the u. of alberta back in the '70s. excellent dish. here is one
article from google.

France: Billy Bi

Last Updated: Jan. 12, 2002

The Kitchen Technician [damatosa.jpg] [colbar.gif] Sandy D'Amato
[47]ARCHIVE

Are you crazy about mussels? No, not the Arnold Schwarzenegger type. I'm talking about the tasty
bivalve shellfish type.

Mussels have been popular since Roman times. They were first cultivated by the French in the 13th
century on fishing nets that were hung from poles. In the 20th century, the Spanish started using
hanging ropes in the water to which the mussels attach. They attach themselves with fibrous
threads that are called the beard.

Most modern mussels are cultivated in captivity and do not have the amount of dirt and sand
contained in the wild variety.

One of the most famous preparations of mussels in French cuisine is the Billi Bi soup. According
to one story, it is named after an American businessman in Paris named Bill who ate the soup
every day. I prefer the story that links the dish to an American officer's farewell dinner after
the Normandy invasion. His name was Billy - so the dish was named Billy Bye.

Either way this is a wonderful combination of mussel liquid, white wine, garlic, shallots and a
bit of whipping cream served hot or cold. A touch of saffron blends beautifully with the
original recipe.

A few hints: Make sure all your mussels are closed before using. Wash them well and remove all
the beards. After cooking, discard any mussels that have not opened.

Master this French classic soup and you'll be able to "mussel" your way into any dinner party.

Saffron Mussel Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil 6 small shallots, sliced 1 medium bulb garlic, separated into cloves,
peeled and sliced 10 sprigs parsley, tied together with a string 3 sprigs thyme, whole 3 bay
leaves 1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed 3 cups white wine 5 pounds fresh mussels,
washed and debearded (do not use frozen) 1 cup chicken stock 1 tablespoon saffron threads
Whipping cream (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups; must use one part cream to three parts liquid) 2 1/2
tablespoons chopped chives

Add olive oil to large (10 inches high, 14 inches in diameter) stainless steel pot. To hot oil,
add shallots and garlic and saute 1 minute. Add parsley, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns.
Toss. Add wine and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Add mussels and cover. Steam
5 to 6 minutes. Turn mussels over and steam another 5 minutes, until mussels open. Drain mussels
into large colander that is set atop large bowl, reserving all liquid. Set mussels aside and
keep warm.

Carefully pour liquid into medium stainless steel pot, leaving any sand behind. Add chicken stock
and saffron and bring to boil. Remove from heat, cover and infuse 10 minutes. Measure liquid. Add
cream to equal a third of that amount. Pour liquid and cream back into pot, return to heat and
bring to boil. Divide mussels among 8 bowls. Remove bundle of parsley, sprigs of thyme and bay
leaves. Divide and ladle hot soup over mussels and serve. Garnish with chives. Makes 8 servings.

Sanford "Sandy" D'Amato, chef/co-owner of Sanford Restaurant, 1547 N. Jackson St., and Coquette
Cafe, 316 N. Milwaukee St., is a James Beard Award winner.

Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Jan. 13, 2002.

--
It could be that the only purpose of your life is to serve as a warning to others

to email me, delete blackhole. from my return address

Chowder can and should be made with whatever local seafood is available - make sure you use lots of
it, and potatoes and onions, but no flour or other thickener. In the Canadian Maritimes, it often
has some lobster.

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Louis Cohen Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"

Bah! Humbug!

"arthur wouk" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, chef <[email hidden]>
wrote: :Here in the uk clams are horrendously expensive , my wife and i love clam :chowder{ with
cream base not tomato } and we do make it as a treat now

and

Quoted message said:

:again . Has anyone ever tried substituting mussels for clams ?
: Mussels are relatively cheap at the moment . If so give us a rough idea of your recipee please.
: merry xmas ttfn andy please post as e mail is just aspam dump
:
:

check out recipes for 'billy bi'. this as i recall is the name which was applied to a mussel
chowder at the faculty club at the u. of alberta back in the '70s. excellent dish. here is one
article from google.

France: Billy Bi

Last Updated: Jan. 12, 2002

The Kitchen Technician [damatosa.jpg] [colbar.gif] Sandy D'Amato
[47]ARCHIVE

Are you crazy about mussels? No, not the Arnold Schwarzenegger type. I'm talking about the
tasty bivalve shellfish type.

Mussels have been popular since Roman times. They were first cultivated by the French in the
13th century on fishing nets that were hung from poles. In the 20th century, the Spanish
started using hanging ropes in the water to which the mussels attach. They attach themselves
with fibrous threads that are called the beard.

Most modern mussels are cultivated in captivity and do not have the amount of dirt and sand
contained in the wild variety.

One of the most famous preparations of mussels in French cuisine is the Billi Bi soup.
According to one story, it is named after an American businessman in Paris named Bill who ate
the soup every day. I prefer the story that links the dish to an American officer's farewell
dinner after the Normandy invasion. His name was Billy - so the dish was named Billy Bye.

Either way this is a wonderful combination of mussel liquid, white wine, garlic, shallots and a
bit of whipping cream served hot or cold. A touch of saffron blends beautifully with the
original recipe.

A few hints: Make sure all your mussels are closed before using. Wash them well and remove all
the beards. After cooking, discard any mussels that have not opened.

Master this French classic soup and you'll be able to "mussel" your way into any dinner party.

Saffron Mussel Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil 6 small shallots, sliced 1 medium bulb garlic, separated into cloves,
peeled and sliced 10 sprigs parsley, tied together with a string 3 sprigs thyme, whole 3 bay
leaves 1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed 3 cups white wine 5 pounds fresh mussels,
washed and debearded (do not use frozen) 1 cup chicken stock 1 tablespoon saffron threads
Whipping cream (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups; must use one part cream to three parts liquid) 2 1/2
tablespoons chopped chives

Add olive oil to large (10 inches high, 14 inches in diameter) stainless steel pot. To hot oil,
add shallots and garlic and saute 1 minute. Add parsley, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns.
Toss. Add wine and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Add mussels and cover. Steam
5 to 6 minutes. Turn mussels over and steam another 5 minutes, until mussels open. Drain
mussels into large colander that is set atop large bowl, reserving all liquid. Set mussels
aside and keep warm.

Carefully pour liquid into medium stainless steel pot, leaving any sand behind. Add chicken
stock and saffron and bring to boil. Remove from heat, cover and infuse 10 minutes. Measure
liquid. Add cream to equal a third of that amount. Pour liquid and cream back into pot, return
to heat and bring to boil. Divide mussels among 8 bowls. Remove bundle of parsley, sprigs of
thyme and bay leaves. Divide and ladle hot soup over mussels and serve. Garnish with chives.
Makes 8 servings.

Sanford "Sandy" D'Amato, chef/co-owner of Sanford Restaurant, 1547 N. Jackson St., and Coquette
Cafe, 316 N. Milwaukee St., is a James Beard Award winner.

Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Jan. 13, 2002.

--
It could be that the only purpose of your life is to serve as a warning to others

to email me, delete blackhole. from my return address