Some foods are an acquired taste, and we all have things we love and hate in equal measures. It has taken me my entire life to get around to being able to cope with ‘trying’ mussels. There’s just something about them, and oysters that just leaves me cold. BUT …. mussels look so attractive when being served and I was desperate to photograph them, so it seemed rather stupid not to eat them too.
I bought into the whole experience, the table was set, the smell, the colours the tastes – I was actually really looking forward to them. The mussels, however, didn’t really do it for me, I have to say. I could eat them but I don’t particularly like or love them. I think its the texture but I’m not saying I won’t try them again, because you have to try new things right? That’s what I always told my boys and sometimes you just love the results. My boys love this dish, I guess I may get there one day. With a bottle of wine on a relaxed evening with a loved one or friends it just is such a lovely sharing dish to put on the table, so I’m thinking I must try again.
Ingredients: (Serves four)
- 4 lbs /1.75Kg of mussels,
- 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic,
- 2 finely chopped shallots,
- a knob of butter,
- a boquet garni of parsley, thyme and bay leaves,
- one glass of dry white wine or cider,
- 1 small pot of double cream,
- a handful of parsley, finely chopped,
- nice crusty bread, chips or sauté potatoes to serve
Moules Marinière © Sue Todd Photography 2016
Method:
Wash the mussels carefully under cold, running water. Throw away any open ones which won’t close when you squeeze them lightly.
Remove any tough or fibrous bits sticking out of the shells and knock off any barnacles.
Then rinse them well again to remove any little pieces of shell.
Melt the butter in a large heavy-based pan and add the garlic and shallots together with the bouquet garni and sauté them off until soft. You’ll need to make sure the pan is a big one with enough space for the shells to open during cooking.
Next add the mussels together with the wine or cider, increase the heat and steam the mussels in their own juices for 3-4 minutes until they open, giving the pan a good shake every now and then.
Remove the bouquet garni, then add the cream and your chopped parsley, lifting the pan from the heat as you do.
Spoon into individual bowls or simply take the pan and a serving spoon to the table and let people help themselves.
Serve with crusty bread, chips or saute potatoes.