Directions:
You will Need:
2.5kg live mussels, cleaned & bearded
375ml dry white wine
200g butter, cut into dice
2 large shallots finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 tomatoes deseeded & roughly chopped
A generous handful of chopped flat leaf parsley
sea salt & white pepper
To Prepare:
There are innumerable ways to cook mussels with great results but this recipe is a classic. Try & obtain live mussels, anything else is likely to have been pre-cooked & frozen or vacuum packed, stripping them of all their flavour.
To clean the mussels, use an old knife to remove any barnacles, pull out the beards & wash under running water with a scouring pad.
To cook this dish you will need a large pan with a tight fitting lid, preferably with a flat base.
Serves 4
1. Melt half the butter in the pan over a moderate heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the shallots, stir for a minute or so then add the garlic & cook for a further two minutes being careful not to burn the garlic.
2. Stand back then add all the wine in one go. Turn hob up to as hot as it will go & when the mixture reaches a rolling boil add all the mussels.
3. Place the lid on the pan & hold in place tightly, gently shake the pan back & forth whilst keeping it on the heat for 3-4 minutes.
4. Remove the lid & using a slotted spoon, discard any mussels that have failed to open. Divide the rest of the mussels into four serving bowls, keeping the cooking liquor in the pan.
5. Quickly return the pan to the high heat & add the remaining butter & the tomatoes. When the mixture has reduced right down, (the bigger & flatter your pan the less time this will take) add the parsley & adjust the seasoning with sea salt & pepper to your taste.
6. Pour the contents of the pan equally over your four portions of mussels & serve immediately with plenty of crusty white bread. |
