Moules Marinière

I haven’t yet actually made this recipe, because I have been too busy eating it in Cornwall and Devon, where the mussels are huge and plentiful. But I will look forward to making it when we get home, with East Coast mussels.

You’ll Need

2kg mussels

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

2 Tbs butter

a bouquet garni of parsley, thyme and bay leaves

100 ml dry white wine

120 ml heavy cream

handful of chopped parsley

1. Scrub the mussels under cold running water. Pull off any of the beards that are sticking out of the closed shells and knock off any barnacles. Discard any that won’t close when squeezed. Rinse again.
2. In a large pot, large enough to be only half full when you add all of the mussels, soften the garlic and shallots in butter. Add the bouquet garni and stir together.
3. Add the mussels and the wine, turn up the heat, put on a lid and let them steam for 3 – 4 minutes. Shake the pot from time to time.
4. Remove the bouquet garni, and divide up the mussels into individual bowls.
5. Add the cream and chopped parsley into the wine sauce, stir well and remove from heat.
6. Pour the sauce over the mussels. Serve with crusty bread.