CREAMY MUSSELS
Serves 4 • Preparation: 20 minutes (once the mussels are cleaned) • Cooking time: 20 minutes
• 2kg fresh black mussels (see tips)
• 500ml white wine
• 2 lemon or bay leaves
• 3ml whole peppercorns
(we used a mix of pink and black)
• a handful of fresh soft herbs
(we used a combination of fennel and parsley but basil, chervil and chives are also delicious)
• 30ml butter
• 15ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 leeks (only the white parts), chopped
• 2 shallots (or use a small white onion), finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• about 200ml cream
• zest of 1 lemon
• 15–30ml fresh lemon juice
• salt
• fresh baguette, skinny fries and aioli, to serve 1 Scrub each mussel shell with a stiff brush, then remove the byssus thread (beard) by pinching the fibres between your fingers and giving them a firm tug towards the tip of the shell. 4 Melt the butter and oil in the pot and fry the leeks and shallots until glossy. Add the garlic and fry for a minute until fragrant. Stir the cooking liquid from the mussels into the sauce, bring to the boil, and then stir in the cream.
Heat through but don’t let it boil as the sauce may curdle. Put the mussels back into the sauce and season with the rest of the herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice and, if necessary, a pinch of salt. 2 Place the cleaned mussels in a large pot and add the wine, lemon leaves, whole peppercorns and a sprinkling of the soft herbs. Bring to the boil. Once the cooking liquid is boiling, cover with a lid, then reduce the heat. Steam the mussels for 5 minutes. 3 Drain the cooked mussels, reserving the liquid. I usually don’t drain all of the cooking liquid in case there is some sediment at the bottom of the pot. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
TIPS
• Choose fresh mussels that are tightly closed, with no broken shells.
• Wrap the mussels in damp paper towels when you get home and store them in the fridge.
• Use fresh mussels on the day you buy them. Before cooking them, tap on any open shells; if they don’t close, they must be discarded.
• Frozen half-shell mussels are pre-blanched and a convenient substitute if you can’t get fresh ones. Steam them for 2 minutes (instead of 5 minutes as in step 2) and follow the recipe as above.