Moules marinière recipe
This Normandy classic has become a worldwide favourite, yet it is one of the simplest dishes to make at home. The key, as ever, is the freshness of the mussels. A fresh mussel is shiny, tightly closed and heavy with seawater, with no ‘fishy’ smell. If you find mussels like this, you will be in for a feast.
Ingredients
- 25 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons whipping cream
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 8 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1.8 kg best-quality mussels
Details
- Cuisine: French
- Recipe Type: Starter
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 5 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Cleaning the mussels: wash the mussels under cold running water, but don’t scrub the shells or the colour will transfer to the juices during cooking, giving them an unappetizing grey appearance. If any of the mussels float it means they are not very fresh, so discard them (and ask your fishmonger to credit them). Press the shells of any open mussels together with your fingers; if they don’t close, discard them. Scrape off any barnacles from the mussels with a sharp knife and pull out the ‘beards’, then drain well.
- Cooking the onion and herbs: over a medium heat, in a large pan, soften the onion, bay leaves and thyme in the butter for 1 minute.
- Cooking the mussels: add the mussels and white wine, cover the pan tightly with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the mussels open.
- Finishing the dish: stir in the cream and chopped parsley, then 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
Recipe written for the WWF's Earth Hour campaign. Photo taken by Jean Cazals.
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