Recipe for Bouchot Mussel Soup

Peel the carrot, shallots, and celery stalk. Rinse the leek under clear water, remove the green part, and cut off the root. Cut the vegetables into small dice. Scrub the mussels, remove the beard, and wash them in at least 2 to 3 changes of water if they haven't been cleaned beforehand.

Heat lactose-free butter or vegetable margarine in a pot. Add diced vegetables and sauté while stirring for 5 minutes. Add the mussels, stir, then pour in half of the white wine (150ml), mineral water, saffron, bay leaf, and parsley, and stir again. Cook for 5 minutes, reserve about twenty mussels, then cook on low heat until boiling (approximately 30 minutes).

Retrieve the juice and the mussels. Remove the mussels from the broth and those still attached to the shell. Discard the closed mussels. Strain the juice and the mussels through a sieve. Use a ladle to help pass some elements that are slow to go through.

Place the broth obtained over heat and reduce it to ¾. Add the rest of the white wine, mascarpone or lactose-free cream. Whip a mayonnaise well using 2 egg yolks and 60 g of grape seed oil. For egg-free mayonnaise, see tips. Add a ladle of broth, mix, and pour into the rest of the broth.

If the broth seems too thin, pour 20 g of potato starch into a bowl, add a tablespoon of broth, and mix vigorously to obtain a smooth mixture without lumps. Add it to the broth and stir.

To finish, add the reserved shelled mussels, the chili, and let cook for about 5 minutes, then pour into the plates, sprinkling with a bit of chopped chives.