Ingredients
- 1.75kg/4lb mussels
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 15g/½oz butter
- a bouquet garni of parsley, thyme and bay leaves
- 100ml/3½fl oz dry white wine or cider
- 120ml/4fl oz double cream
- handful of parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
- crusty bread and/or thin chips, to serve
- Wash the mussels under plenty of cold, running water. Discard any open ones that won't close when lightly squeezed.
- Pull out the tough, fibrous beards protruding from between the tightly closed shells and then knock off any barnacles with a large knife. Give the mussels another quick rinse to remove any little pieces of shell.
- Soften the garlic and shallots in the butter with the bouquet garni, in a large pan big enough to take all the mussels - it should only be half full.
- Add the mussels and wine or cider, turn up the heat, then cover and steam them open in their own juices for 3-4 minutes. Give the pan a good shake every now and then.
- Remove the bouquet garni, add the cream and chopped parsley and remove from the heat.
- Spoon into four large warmed bowls and serve with lots of crusty bread.
Method
Well the Eldest is at home and, I think on this day the younger two were out somewhere (although as this is lockdown still, what I mean is they ate something else. I asked what she would like before going back to Durham and she said Moules frites - fine by me so here we are. We both share a strong food memory of having Mussels at Brittania at the Beach a fantastic sea food restaurant in the Devon South Hams which is in a shed perched on the beach and serves seasonal seafood from the local area. The Mussels they served were fresh, plump and sweet and tasted amazing.
My attempt was based on supermarket mussels so never going to be as good. That said they were very tasty and definitely hit the spot. Quick simple food that feeds the soul.