Recipe - Mussel And Bacon Soup

2 pound Fresh mussels
4 Rashers smoked bacon,
derinded
1 Onion, peeled
3 Sticks celery
One half ounce Margarine
8 ounce Can chopped tomatoes
30 fl Fish or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon Chopped fresh basil or
One half teaspoon Dried basil
Black pepper

Wash the mussels well and remove the beards. Discard any that are open, or
do not close when sharply tapped. Chop the bacon, onion and celery. Melt
the margarine in a pan, add the bacon and onion. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir
in the celery, tomatoes, stock and basil. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add
the mussels, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes or until all the
mussels are open. Shake the pan occasionally. Discard any that do not open.
Season with pepper. Either remove the mussels from both shells or serve in
the shells. In this case you need small finger bowls ofwater on the table.

Source: Marguerite Patten 's Marvellous Meals, Your Magazine, UK

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini