Just like oysters, mussels were once the food of the poor in these islands. This way of preparing them is a West Country twist on the classic French moules marinière, using dry cider (preferably from Somerset).
Ingredients
- 1 kg mussels
- 20 g butter
- 50 g shallots, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 100 ml double cream
- 20 g fresh parsley, chopped
- crusty bread to serve
How to Make It
- To prepare the mussels, remove the beards and scrape off any barnacles. Discard any mussels that stay open or that have broken shells. Wash well under cold running water.
- Heat up the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pan and sweat the shallots and garlic for a few minutes until soft but not brown.
- Place the mussels in the pan and pour in the cider. Cover the pan tightly and cook on a high heat for 3–4 minutes until the mussels are open, shaking the pan a few times.
- Discard any mussels that stay stubbornly shut, then add the cream and parsley. Bring to the boil and serve, with crusty bread.