Oyster-mussel chowder…pancetta, sunchokes, almonds

Makes 4 appetizer servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup peeled and thinly sliced Jerusalem artichokes

Kosher salt and pepper

½ tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour

1 ½ cups almond milk

20 mussels

1 ounce pancetta, cut into 1/8  inch dice

1 cup thinly sliced leek rounds, rinsed

½ cup fennel, cut into ¼ inch dice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup white wine

¼ cup heavy cream

16 shucked oysters

4 toasted Marcona almonds, chopped

4 teaspoon roughly chopped chervil

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the Jerusalem artichokes, season with salt and pepper, cover with parchment and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. 

Add the flour, and cook 1 minute.  Add the almond cream and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. 

Puree in a blender until very smooth.  Adjust seasonings.

Wash the mussels and de-beard.

Melt the remaining tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.  When the foam subsides, add pancetta and cook 3 minutes, or until rendered.  Render add the leeks, fennel and garlic, season with pepper, cover with parchment and cook 7 minutes or until tender.  Add the mussels and white wine.  Cover and steam open the mussels, about 5 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Remove the mussels from the shells and discard the shells.  Set the mussels aside in a bowl.  Discard any mussels that haven’t opened.

To serve, put the pan back on a medium heat.  Swirl the sunchoke puree into the mussel juices.   Add the cream, oysters and mussels and stir until the oyster edges have just started to curl and everything is hot.

Ladle into 4 warm bowls.  Garnish with chervil and almonds.