Whether a mussel lover or a newcomer to the joys of this bivalve, most people will have heard of this simplest of mussel recipes:
Ingredients
- 48-60 mussels – depending on their size – cleaned and de-bearded
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cloves of garlic – peeled and finely chopped
- 2 shallots or 1 medium-sized mild onion – peeled and finely chopped
- A bunch of flat-leaf parsley – finely chopped
- 700ml dry white wine
- A bouquet garni – a small tied bunch of parsley, French tarragon or thyme and a bay leaf
- 30g butter – cut into small pieces
Directions
- Into a large pot put the mussels, a generous amount of pepper, the garlic, shallots or onion and half of the chopped parsley; pour in the wine and add the bouquet garni.
- Cover and cook over a high heat for 8-10 minutes, shaking the pot from time to time to make sure all the mussels open.
- When mussels are open and the ones still closed dealt with, add the butter and continue to cook uncovered for another 5 minutes, then remove the bouquet garni and serve the mussels at once in bowls with the strained cooking juices poured over them.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with lots of crusty bread and serviettes.
Tip
Any mussels that do not open fully should be immediately discarded.
Bring a change to your barbecue menu by wrapping cooked fresh mussels in strips of streaky bacon and threading them onto skewers then mopping them occasionally with a mix of honey, tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and Kaitaia Fire as they grill on the barbecue until the bacon is crisp.
