Martin Shanahan's Potato, Leek and Mussel Soup

1) Potato, leek and mussel soup;

Ingredients:
- 1 onion
- 400gms leeks
- 1k potatoes
- 3 tbsps oil
- Salt / white pepper
- 2ltrs. water
- 200ml cream
- 1kg mussels in shell
- Chopped chives (for garnish)

Peel and slice the onions, leeks and potatoes. Heat the oil in a saucepan, and sweat the onions and leeks off for four to five minutes. Add the raw sliced potatoes. Pour in the 2 litres of water. Bring to the boil and let simmer for twenty minutes. Blend the ingredients and add the cream. Season with salt and white pepper.
Wash and beard the mussels. Steam in a little water in a separate pot until the mussels have opened (discard those that don't as they're not good).
When the mussels open, add cooking liquer into the sopu. Remove the meat from the mussel shells, and fold them into the soup. Leave a couple in the shell for garnish and place the chopped chives on top.
This should feed six to eight people. Mussels cost about four euro so you should be able to make this soup for ten euro.