RECIPE FOR: Mussels Chowder

Ingredients: 1.5 kg mussels in shell (this is enough to yield 2 cups meat) 2 tablespoons butter. 125g bacon, finely chopped. 2 large onions, finely chopped. 500g potatoes, diced in 2cm cubes.

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice. 1 teaspoon sweet paprika. 1.5 cups milk 1.5 cups cream Seasonings to taste. Chopped parsley to garnish.

Method
Open mussels, retain liquid.  Melt butter in a large saucepan, sauté bacon, add onion, stir fry until golden.

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water.  Remove potatoes, reduce potato water to 1 cup. 
Add mussels, mussel juice, bacon and onion mixture, lemon juice and paprika to potato water, simmer.

Add potatoes, milk, cream, remove from heat.  Blend mixture in blender, 30 seconds.  Return to pan, gently heat.  Season, garnish with parsley.