MOULES MARINERE

Introduction

A Normandy classic which has become a worldwide favourite, yet one of the simplest dishes to realise in your kitchen.

Introduction

A Normandy classic which has become a worldwide favourite, yet one of the simplest dishes to realise in your kitchen.

Serves: 4

Difficulty rating: 1/3

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 5 mins

Special equipment: Large Sauté pan

Ingredients

1 Onion, white, very finely chopped 15g 1tbsp Butter, unsalted 2 Bay leaves 8 sprigs Thyme 1.8kg Mussels the best, cleaned, beards removed (*1) 100g White wine, dry 30g 2 tbsp Parsley, flat leaf, picked, chopped roughly 30ml 2 tbsp Whipping cream 1g 1 pinch Sea salt 1g 2 pinches White pepper, freshly ground

Method

Wash the mussels in cold running water. Any mussels that float means that they are not very fresh so discard them and ask your fishmonger to credit them. Remove any barnacles and beards that may be present (do not scrub the shells as whilst cooking the colour will transfer to the juices and give a very unappetising grey appearance) and drain.

Sweat the onion, bay leaves, and thyme on medium heat in the butter for 1 minute. Add the mussels and white wine cover with a lid and cook for 4 – 5 minutes until the mussels open. Add the whipping cream, chopped parsley and stir. Taste and add the seasoning, if required.

Serve in a large dish or 4 soup plates. Give finger bowls to your guests and lots of good French bread to mop up the wonderful juices.

Chef’s notes

*1 The secret, as ever, is in the freshness of the mussels. A fresh mussel is shiny, closed and heavy with seawater with no “fishy” smell. All mussels should be tightly closed and any mussels that are not should be discarded.

Variations:

There are hundreds of variations you could do: For an Indian version, add some madras curry powder to the onion and then finish the dish with some lemon and coriander. For a Thai version, some chilli, garlic, lemongrass and lime leaf could be added to the onion and then the cream replaced with coconut.

Nutrition Facts

Nutritional highlights: Shelfish is a good source of Potassium – which is essential for water balance and nerves.