Breton Billi Bi - {Soupe De Moules Au Safran}

Recipe Instructions Mix the wine, bouquet garni, and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. After you've scrubbed and debearded the mussels, as needed, drop them into the saucepan, cover, and shake them over high heat until they open -- just a few minutes. Drain them through a sieve lined with coffee filters, catching the broth underneath. Ladle some of the broth into a bowl with the saffron in it -- and let sit to make a strong infusion. Shell the mussels. Cut the leeks and carrots into fine slivers (so that they're easy to eat with a soupspoon). Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the slivers and cook covered on medium low heat, letting them sweat until tender. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the saffron infusion, the cream, the Tabasco sauce, and season to taste. Let bubble for some 5 minutes, then reduce heat. Mix a ladleful with the beaten egg yolks, to make a liaison, then stir back into the pot and let thicken over a low heat for several minutes. When the soup has thickened, stir in the mussels and let warm in the simmering liquid for a few minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each with finely minced tarragon. Serve hot to 4 as a first course to an elegant meal.