Ever find yourself wandering aimlessly around Fallon & Byrne or the supermarket aisle with 'What will I make for dinner??' circling around your cranium. That was me yesterday, I was there for so long that the security guard started following me....I don't blame him -I was muttering under my breath and I had a slightly pained look on my face. Eventually I pulled myself together...protein, start with protein I said (under my breath). I side stepped my way from the Toulouse sausages past the venison -landing my feet and furrowed brow at the fish counter. Okay fish can be pricey and I am usually on a pretty tight budget -'Why were you in Fallon & Byrne?' I hear you cry....Simply put it's a place of inspiration and when it comes to quality protein at a reasonable price it ain't bad, oh and did I mention fresh fish! My eyes scanned the fishies and when I saw the mussels I had a flash back to the Observer Food Monthly magazine....Nigel Slater (my secret culinary crush -I don't fancy him so much as his food) had a recipe for soup with mussels and hazelnuts -bingo. I couldn't remember if it was celeriac or parsnip though...I decided parsnip....it was actually cauliflower! Nigels Recipe I have no doubt it is delicious with cauliflower but here follows the parsnip version of events....

What you need; Serves 3 very hungry / 4 not so hungry peeps

1kg mussels -scrubbed and beards removed (tap any that don't close during the washing- if they still don't close these should be discarded)
10 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
3 medium sized parsnips peeled and chopped into chunks
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic smashed
4 medium sized potatoes -peeled and chopped into chunks
2 hand fulls of hazelnuts pre-roasted or not (see below)

What you need to do;

Turn oven on to 200'C / Gas 6
When ready chuck your parsnips with some olive oil on a tray and roast for 15-20 mins or until browning at edges
In the meantime sweat your onion and garlic in some butter over a medium heat
If you have bought hazels in their skins (much cheaper than already roasted) simply put them on a dry skillet for 5-10 mins on a medium heat -keep an eye as they can burn easily. When done wrap in a tea towel and rub the skins off. To crush wrap in a tea towel and bash with a rolling pin
Get your cleaned mussels on -put in a pan with 300mls of water, bay leaf and peppercorns
Put a lid on the mussels and bring to the boil steam for a few mins until the shells have opened (any that haven't opened should be discarded -as they were dead before you started)
Add your spud to the onion and garlic
Set your mussels aside strain the cooking liquid and pour into your spuds et al.
When your parsnips have roasted chuck them into the pot
You'll need to add more liquid to cook all the veg -the amount depends on how thick you want your soup to be....if unsure see what it's like when you've whizzed it up and you can always add more
Simmer your veg. until the potatoes are softened -whizz with a stick blender taste and season
To serve ladle into hot bowls, pop some mussels on top and sprinkle over some crushed hazels- delicious with these easy peasy bread sticks from Lorraine Pascale Bread Stix