BILLI BI

SOURCE: CRAIG CLAIBORNE. THE NEW YORK TIMES COOKBOOK.

If somebody had the time and effort in the world to comprehensively profile all soups known to humanity, then Billi Bi would probably end up as the “John Doe” in that catalog. In the heart of its riddle lies a covertly mononymous William B., who unknowingly lent the goodwill of his name to the soup that once graced Maxim’s during its Michelin-starred heydays. Although the dominant view alleges American tin magnate and Maxim’s patron, William B. Leeds, as the eponymous candidate, the food world expanded their leads to two additional suspects. Waverley Root claims an American bon vivant, William “Billy B.” Beebe, who also coincidentally frequented the Parisian restaurant, as the uncanny but unverifiable match. Countess Marie Pierre de Toulouse-Lautrec, a food journalist married to the aristocratic nephew of the Post-Impressionist painter, wove additional strings by having a certain William “Billy” Brand and Ciro’s in the Norman commune of Deauville being the nominative source and birthplace, respectively. The common denominator among all three narratives is a former Ciro’s and Maxim’s chef branding his sublime creation after a regular American customer who preferred his cream of mussel soup served sans the shells.

Ingredients

2 pounds/900 grams fresh mussels

2 medium-sized shallots, coarsely chopped

2 small onions, sliced into quarters

2 sprigs of parsley, preferably Italian or flat-leaf parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 cup/250 mL dry white wine

1 ounce/30 grams unsalted butter

1/2 bay leaf, preferably Turkish or Mediterranean bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon/0.5 grams dried thyme

2 cups/500 mL heavy cream

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

OPTIONAL: Coarsely chopped parsley leaves OR finely chopped chives for garnish

Specific Equipment

Brush

Large saucepan

Strainer or colander

Cheesecloth

Mixing bowl to collect the mussel stock

Wire whisk

Serves 4

Instructions

1. Scrub the mussels well with a brush to remove all sand and dirt.

2. Combine mussels, shallots, onions, parsley sprigs, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, wine, butter, bay leaf, and thyme in a saucepan. Cover the stock pot and bring to a boil under high heat. Simmer the mussels for 5 to 10 minutes until the mussels have opened. Discard the mussels that have not opened.

3. Line the strainer or colander with layers of cheesecloth. Strain the mussels through the cheesecloth, collecting the filtered mussel stock in the mixing bowl.

4. Remove the mussels from their shells and set them aside as soup garnish.

5. Return the mussel stock into the saucepan and bring to a boil under medium heat. Pour in cream to the saucepan, and let the soup return to boiling. Reduce the heat to moderate.

6. Whisk in the lightly beaten egg yolk into the cream soup and continue heating until the soup slightly thickens without simmering or boiling to prevent the egg yolk from curdling.

7. Remove the saucepan from heat, and ladle the soup into individual serving bowls filled with mussels. Decorate the soup with coarsely chopped parsley leaves or finely chopped chives, if desired.