Food Wine Sleep

Ingredients List

1 kg black mussels
400 mls (13.5 fluid ounces) fresh cream
1 cup dry white wine
3 medium to large shallots (eshallots) finely diced (about 90 grams or 3 ounces)
1.5 cloves of garlic (about 15 grams) finely diced
1 stalk of celery finely diced
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
3 fresh bay leaves (dried will suffice)
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
65 grams (2 1/4 ounces) butter
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Large serving dish or bowl

Recipe Description

Although this dish is quintessentially French it is probably more of a consistent feature on the dinner tables of the northeastern region of the country. The beauty of a mussel dish like this is that the mussels (or 'moules') are served absolutely fresh. Mussels are harvested all over the coast of France and then shipped live to the local fishmongers. There they are bought, (still alive), taken home, cleaned and prepared in this simple yet stunning recipe and enjoyed by anyone lucky enough to be present. So the key for you to enjoy this dish is to do the same, and by that I mean: buy only the freshest best live mussels from your local trusted fishmonger. And then simply pop on your beret, grab a large French bread stick, hop on your bicycle and head home to prepare this simple yet beautiful dish. If you are not a fan of the richness of the fresh cream, then simply leave out the cream and enjoy 'Moules a la Normande' instead.

Method Description

Clean the mussels
Place a large pot on low heat
Add the butter
Soften shallots, celery and garlic for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add the thyme, bay leaves and cream, then increase the heat to high
Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes
Meanwhile place a deep pan or pot with a fitted lid on high heat, add the wine and bring to the boil
Heat the serving dish by filling it with some hot water
Add the mussels to the wine and cover, cook for 1-2 minutes
Drain and dry the serving dish
Remove the lid from the mussel pan and remove any mussels that are open, place them in the serving dish and cover with foil
Continue to boil the wine and mussels until they have all opened and transfer them to the serving dish
Once all of the mussels have opened (discard any stubborn ones that refuse to open) strain the wine through a fine strainer into the cream sauce reduce a further 10 minutes
Remove the bay leaves
Stir through the vinegar and pour the sauce over the mussels
Garnish with parsley and serve

Enjoy with some crusty French bread, a glass of good dry white wine and a smile on your face
Serves 4 people as a first course
Serves 2 people as a main course