mussel chowder with cheese muffins

place a large saucepan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and gently sauté 4 baby leeks, 3 cloves of thinly sliced garlic and 2 potatoes, peeled and diced. do not allow them to colour.

add 1kg of fresh mussels and turn up the heat. stir-fry briefly before adding 1 cup of dry white wine. stir for a further minute or two and add ½ cup of cream and 2 cups of chicken stock. season to taste and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. remove from heat and with a slotted spoon, remove the mussels from the broth. discard any unopened mussels. then discard the shells from about half the mussels, returning the plump flesh to the broth. to serve, return the remaining shelled mussels to the broth and garnish with a fresh sprigs of sage. serve with cheese muffins.

cheese muffins

preheat oven to 220º celsius.

grease a muffin pan or used paper muffin cups in the pan.

place 3 cups of grated strong cheddar cheese, 2 cups of flour and 2 tablespoons of baking powder in a bowl. mix well.

mix 2 large eggs and a ¾ cup of milk, and combine with the flour mixture to form a soft, sticky dough.

spoon the mixture in the muffin pan and bake for 12-15 minutes until puffed and golden.