A light, yet savory mussel soup with star anise and wheat beer. Based on mussel broth and milk it makes a great froth if whipped up with an immersion blender or even a whisk. The star anise gives a light hint of liquorice while the beer and sumac balances the dish with freshness and acidity.

1. Make sure to throw away any mussels that are open (and won’t close if you tap them hard), broken or damaged in any way.


2. Start by chopping all the vegetables except the garlic into small pieces, really small pieces.


3. Peel the garlic cloves and lightly crush them. Put the vegetables in a pan together with the knob of butter, the bay leaf, the sprig of marjoram and the garlic. Cook over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes until soft but not brown. Add the mussels. Add 200 ml of water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the mussels have opened (about 5-6 minutes). Discard any mussels that remain closed.


4. Strain the liquid into a saucepan, add the milk and the star anise. Boil gently for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, discard the star anise and then add the beer. Add salt to taste.


5. Arrange the mussels in serving bowls, mix the soup with an immersion blender to create a nice froth and then pour it over the mussels. Pick some leaves of marjoram and put them on each plate. Finally sprinkle a small amount of sumac on top.


6. The soup is served with rye sourdough grissini, but any good bread would work just fine!

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