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1
Rinse mussels under running water, discarding any that are open.
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2
Place in a soup kettle with white wine.
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3
Bring to a fast boil over medium-high heat and steam until mussels open.
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4
Remove from heat and discard any mussels that refuse to open.
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5
Remove mussels from broth, being careful not to pick up sandy sediment.
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6
Strain the broth carefully, through a colander lined with cheesecloth, into a measuring cup.
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7
Add water to make 4 cups liquid.
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8
Rinse out soup kettle.
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9
Clean and slice the leek thinly and saute it in 2 tablespoons of oil over gentle heat until leek has softened.
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10
If using salted anchovy, split it in half and rinse under running water to rid it of salt.
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11
Pull away the bones.
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12
Pat anchovy dry.
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13
Mash two garlic cloves and mince with anchovy and half the parsley.
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14
Add to leek and saute until garlic starts to turn golden.
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15
Roughly chop tomatoes.
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16
Add to soup kettle with mussel broth and either saffron threads or hot pepper.
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17
Let simmer, partly covered, 10 minutes.
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18
Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper to taste.
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19
While liquid is simmering, remove the empty half shell from each mussel, leaving only the shell half that has the mussel in it.
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20
Discard empty shells.
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21
Add mussels in shells to the simmering broth, and let warm to serving temperature.
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22
While broth is warming, toast the bread slices on both sides.
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23
When bread is toasted, cut remaining clove of garlic and rub over bread.
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24
Drizzle a little of the remaining olive oil over each slice.
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25
Place a bread slice in bottom of each soup bowl.
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26
When ready to serve, place a ladleful of mussels in each bowl on top of the sliced bread.
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27
Pour broth over, discarding hot pepper if used, sprinkle with minced parsley and serve immediately.
