A slight change to the traditional mussels marinier, this recipe is quick and easy, mussels are great for those who wouldn’t be the biggest lovers of shellfish. Make sure to buy the mussels
fresh from a quality fish mongers:
– 1 kg Irish mussels
– 1 medium leek
– 150g smoked back bacon or pancetta
– 300ml dry cider
– 100g butter
– 100ml cream
– 2 cloves of garlic
– Hand full of parsley chopped
- Wash the mussels under cold running water and pull off and discard any wispy ‘beards’ from the shells. Before cooking, you need to make sure all the mussels are alive, so discard any that have broken or cracked shells and any open ones that don’t close when tapped on a hard surface.
- Melt the butter in a very large pan with a lid over a medium heat, add the bacon or pancetta, leek and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the cider, bring to the boil, then add the mussels. Cover and cook for 5–7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that are still closed after cooking.
- Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon and divide among 6 warmed deep bowls.
- Return the pan to the heat, bring the cooking liquid to the boil and bubble for 2–3 minutes to reduce. Stir in the cream and parsley, then season the sauce and pour over the mussels. Serve with either chips or good quality crusty bread , I recommend sourdough Farrells.
