It's quick and easy to cook this great summertime treat. Don't let the fancy name put you off!
For me, summer means Moules Mariniere, cooked outside on the barbecue, and served with plenty of bread to mop up the juices. If it rains, you can still prepare your mussels on the hob, so here is my recipe for success, indoors or outdoors.
We're fortunate enough to live near the sea in Cornwall, so we just go and harvest our own mussels on the day we want to eat them, if the tide allows. It has to be as low as possible to uncover the rocks where the biggest, juiciest mussels hang out. If your nearest beach is hours away, don't despair, though. You can get mussels from any good fishmonger and most supermarkets with a good fish counter. Allow one kilo per couple if you are serving your Moules as a main course, a kilo between 4 for a starter.
When we collect mussels, people confess that what prevents them from doing the same is the fear of getting food poisoning. Shellfish poisoning is nasty, but we've never had it, and we eat loads of mussels. There are three good pointers to weed out any bad mussels:
Wash your mussels in cold water. Some will rise to the top, but if any bob about like a boat on the sea, discard them, just to be on the safe side.
The shells shouldn't open until you cook them. If any do, tap them with the handle of the knife. If they close, the mussel is still alive and fine to eat; if they don't, discard them.
Any mussels which fail to open with the rest should also be discarded.
Method
Wash your mussels and pull off the 'beards.' If they don't come away easily, don't worry - they can be removed after cooking. Place mussels in a clean teatowel to drain.
For 4 people, finely chop 6 - 8 shallots. If shallots are not available, use a buch of spring onions and include most of the green tops.
Chop 2 large cloves of garlic.
In a large wok, or special Moules pan, if you have one, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook onions and garlic until soft, then add a handful of fresh chopped parsley, or a tablespoon of freeze dried, and freshly ground black pepper.
Add 1/2 a bottle of dry white wine - anything will do, as long as it's not too sweet. Bring to the boil, then add mussels and cover. When nearly all the shells are open, which will only take a few minutes, your mussels are ready. Take care not to overcook.
Serve immediately, either in a large dish for guests to help themselves, or in individual serving dishes. Garnish with a little more parsley and wedges of lemon.
Provide something to put the empty shells in, plenty of fresh crusty bread to mop up the juices, and a container of Wet Wipes for sticky fingers.
Remember, the only way to eat mussels is to scoop them straight from the shell.
