Billi-Bi
Source of Recipe
Lynn's Recipes From The Past
Recipe Introduction
Of French origin, this mussel soup was created by chef Louis Barthe in 1925 for one of his restaurant's regular customers. John Mariani, in the Dictionary of American Food and Drink, says that the customer's name and the restaurant where the soup originated is unclear. Some say it was made for William Bateman Leeds, Sr., at Maxim's in Paris and others say it was for William Brand at Ciro's in Deauville.
Whoever it was, the name Billi-Bi is the diminutive and the initial of the customer's name. Served hot or cold, it became popular in United States restaurants. Originally, the mussles were strained out, leaving a smooth soup, but today they are sometimes left in.
List of Ingredients
5 doz. Mussels in the shell, scrubbed
2 medium-size yellow Onions, peeled and minced
2 ribs Celery, minced
1/2 # Mushrooms, minced
1/4 C minced Parsley
1/8 t Pepper
2-1/2 cups Water or 2 cups Water and 1/2 cup Fish Stock
1 C Dry White Wine
1 C Light Cream
Recipe
Place mussels in a large, heavy skillet with all but the cream.
Cover, bring to a boil over moderate heat, then reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes, until mussles open.
With a slotted spoon lift mussels and reserve to serve as a separate course or at another meal...(discard any unopened mussels.)
Strain cooking liquid through a fine sieve lined with a triple thickness of cheesecloth, pour into a clean saucepan and boil rapidly, uncovered, until reduced by about half.
Turn heat to low, stir in cream and heat and stir until piping hot.
Taste for salt, adjust heat as needed and serve. Or chill well and serve cold.
Serves 4
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