My dad always takes advantage of the high October tides to gather mussels on the rocky beaches surrounding our family house in Brittany. His morning forages never fail to end up in a large table of siblings and cousins sipping white wine over bowls of steamy and aromatic moules marinières. I learned from him this simple, flavourful recipe that so pleasantly fills the air with the scent of the sea.
Moules Marinières de Bretagne
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Recipe by: my dad Busy:15 min, Total prep time: 20 min Serves: 4 |
Discard any mussels that present either of the following: (1) shells are open AND do not close when you tap them; (2) shell is cracked; (3) mussel is unusually heavy, meaning it is probably full of sand.
Slice the shallots finely.
In a large and tall pan, melt the butter on medium-low heat and gently sweat the shallots, until transparent (3-4 min)
Add the thyme, bay leaves and white wine and a bit of pepper. If the mussels are seawater mussels, do not add salt. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to the boil.
Toss the mussels into the pan, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until all the mussels are open.
Takes the mussels out of the pan and store in a large, hot serving dish. Cover with a tea towel to keep warm.
Reduce the sauce by half on the burner. Remove the herbs, adjust the seasoning and pour the sauce over the mussels. If the sauce is sandy, filter it before serving.
Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the mussels and serve immediately with homemade oven french fries and salad.
Start by washing the mussels. Rinse them under running water and scrub their shell with a metal scourer or a small knife, removing the barnacles if there are any and tugging off the little “beards” on the side when these are sticking out. Cultivated mussels are sold with very clean shells so they only need quick rinsing. Only If your mussels appear to be very sandy, leave them to soak for 15 minutes in fresh water, changing the water 2-3 times to allow them to expel the sand.
Discard any mussels that present either of the following: (1) shells are open AND do not close when you tap them; (2) shell is cracked; (3) mussel is unusually heavy, meaning it is probably full of sand.
Slice the shallots finely.
In a large and tall pan, melt the butter on medium-low heat and gently sweat the shallots, until transparent (3-4 min)
Add the thyme, bay leaves and white wine and a bit of pepper. If the mussels are seawater mussels, do not add salt. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to the boil.
Toss the mussels into the pan, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until all the mussels are open.
Takes the mussels out of the pan and store in a large, hot serving dish. Cover with a tea towel to keep warm.
Reduce the sauce by half on the burner. Remove the herbs, adjust the seasoning and pour the sauce over the mussels. If the sauce is sandy, filter it before serving.
Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the mussels and serve immediately with homemade oven french fries and salad.
For maximum flavour and freshness, try to buy the mussels on the day you are going to cook them if possible. To conserve them, place them in a bowl with a damp tea towel covering the top and store them at the bottom of your fridge or outside is the temperature is cool enough. Mussels can safely keep for a few days that way. DO NOT store them in an airtight container or in water, they would suffocate and die, making them no longer edible.
Ingredients
2 kg mussels
100 g butter
6 shallots
6 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
50 cl dry white wine such as muscadet sur Lie
2 handfuls parsley leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 kg mussels
100 g butter
6 shallots
6 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
50 cl dry white wine such as muscadet sur Lie
2 handfuls parsley leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
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