Mussel Saffron Soup

Ingredients

• 1  bay leaf 
• 0.3 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 0.3 cup chervil fresh chopped
• 2 cups bottled clam juice 
• 0.3 teaspoon thyme leaves dried
• 1.5 cups cooking wine dry white
• 0.3 cup parsley fresh minced
• 1  garlic clove minced
• 0.1 teaspoon ground pepper red
• 1 cup milk 2% reduced-fat
• 2 pounds mussels scrubbed
• 0.1 teaspoon saffron threads crushed
• 0.5 cup shallots minced
• 1 teaspoon stick margarine 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sieve
• dutch oven
• cheesecloth

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add minced shallots, and saut 3 minutes.
3. Add the wine and next 5 ingredients (wine through garlic); bring to a boil.
4. Add mussels.
5. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until the mussels open; discard any unopened shells. Strain the mussel mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a medium bowl, reserving cooking liquid. Reserve 12 shells with meat intact.
6. Remove meat from the remaining shells. Chop meat and add to pan; discard shells.
7. Add reserved cooking liquid, clam juice, black pepper, and red pepper; bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the milk, and cook 1 minute or until soup is thoroughly heated.
9. Pour soup into serving bowls. Top with reserved mussels and chervil.