From: Joel.Ehrlich@salata.com (COLLECTION) Date: 20 Jan 1995 14:51:10 -0000 Scrub mussels and remove hairy beard which protrudes from the shell. Combine the cider, bay leaf, shallots, celery and thyme in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 3 minutes. Add the mussels. Cover. Cook over high heat for 1 minute. Uncover. Remove all opened mussels to a bowl. Cover. Continue cooking, shaking the pot vigorously once or twice a minute and uncovering every 20 or 30 seconds to check for opened mussels. Discard any mussels which have not opened after 5 minutes. Remove the mussels from their shells. Discard the shells. Set the mussels aside. Return any juices which have accumulated in the bottom of the bowl to the pot. Strain the mussel liquid through a cheesecloth lined sieve into a large skillet. Melt the butter in another large skillet over moderately low heat. Add the leeks. Cover. Cook until the leeks are soft (about 15 minutes). Add the Creme Fraiche. Bring to a simmer. Bring the mussel liquid to a boil over high heat. Boil until reduced to 1-1/2 cups (for 6 servings, adjust as needed). Reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Add the sole fillets. Poach, uncovered, until the fish barely flakes with a fork (3-4 minutes). Transfer the fish to a warm serving plate. Raise the heat to high and reduce the liquid in the skillet to 1/4 cup (for 6 servings). Add to the leek mixture along with the mussels. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce and mussels over the sole. Garnish with chives. REC.FOOD.RECIPES ARCHIVES /FISH From rec.food.cooking archives. Downloaded from G Internet, G Internet.