(for 2 or 3)

1 bulb of Fennel
1 onion
2 medium Tomatoes
30g (1 oz.) Butter
4 strands of Saffron (or 1 tsp. Turmeric)
500g (1 lb.) Mussels
1 glass White wine (or water)
300ml (half pint)Water
2 streaky rashers grilled and crumbled.
Trim the fennel and peel the onion and put them to sweat with the butter and tomatoes and saffron/turmeric until they are soft.

Rinse the mussels free of all sand and remove their beards (if they have them
a lot of the modern farmed ones don’t which makes life much easier)
Put these with the wine or water in a large pot with a lid and put them on a high heat. Let them boil and continue cooking until they are all open.
Strain the mussel juices through a sieve with a cloth to remove all the grit.
Put the vegetables, the mussels and the juices into a liquidiser and whizz until smooth. If you want you can then push through a sieve.Add the water.
Re heat until very hot and serve sprinkled with the grilled crushed bacon.