This is a satisfying and logical combination of ingredients which appears on menus in France, England and Belgium.
Assume 1 lb (500 gm) of mussels per person as a starter and 2 lb (1 kg) per person as a main course. Thus for 4 people you between 4 lb or 8 lb of mussels. Modify this quantity according to appetite budget and availability. Four carrots, an lump of celery and an onion and some chopped parsley. Three tablespoons of olive oil. By no means essential, a glass of cheap dry white wine can be used to good effect.
Method
Rinse the mussels and leave in a large bowl of water for a couple of hours before cooking. The food hygiene rules are discard anything which is open before cooking and anything which is not open after cooking. Also, discard anything which looks unwholesome like beard, newspaper and stones. Scrub the mussels if you feel the need, but removing anything likely to come loose during cooking with a finger is a lot less trouble.
Take a thick bottomed pan, add the oil and place on a low light. Whilst the oil is warming, scrape and dice the carrots and add to the oil, next chop the celery and add this to the pan, next, do the same with the onion and let the vegetables soften for 10 minutes with the occasional check to prevent burning. Add two wine glasses of water, or a mix of white wine and water, bring to the boil, add chopped parsley, mixing it with the vegetables. Add the mussels and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the mussels are open.
Comment
Serve with dry white wine and French bread. Children often object to mussels, until they learn they can eat them with a mussel shell.
Page Created: 8th December 2000