Moules Mariner (mussels, wine cream ect)

**smiley73** · 04-10-2006, 01:07

not really a catch, more of a forrage on the beach, or yap with the monger.

my own version, used to sell them by the dozens of plates each night....

prep..
clean about 1KG of fresh mussels, from the fishmonger is best if you dont know the beds too well, or if you do, home harvested is miles nicer and fun with the kids !
remove the beards and scrub the outer shells well. rinse with plenty of fresh water and discard any even slightly open shells that wont close with a flick of a finger.

roast a whole bulb of garlic in the oven for approx 30 mins on 180-deg or gas mark 7'ish until golden brown, sweet to smell.

on the stove, reduce a third of a bottle of good quality (dosent have to be expensive to be good!) balsamic vinegar, on a gentle rolling boil. (Open the window!)

you can tell when the balsamic is reduced correctly as it will start to froth, rather than boil. remove from heat and cool on the side.

after about 20 mins of cooling.. it will look like black treacle and tastle sweet but sharp. if you have reduced it a little too much and it go's really thick once cool, just heat genlty for a few seconds to use, and spare's can be kept in a container for a month or two in the fridge. go's really nice with any type of fish.. bass is perfect!

anyways...

put the mussels into a pan on medium heat with half (or whole if you are making big double portions) a chopped white onion, a small handfull of fresh parsley heads, 3-4 cloves (more if you like) of the carmalised garlic and a grinding (fresh and course) of black pepper. leave lidded for aprox 3-5 mins until steam appears from the lid. as the mussles sweat, they will open and release the seawater within, effectivley steaming them in their own juice.

all the mussels should now be open and cooked, again, discard any that are not open.

you will now have the stock/juices from the mussels ect to build on in the bottom of the pan..

pour over a good glug of sweet or dry to sweet white wine.

bring this to a high heat and reduce liquid for a few mins with the pan lid half on, then pour on a few fluid ounces of fresh double (single if your watching the waste LoL) cream.

stir it all up gently.

after another 2-3 mins or so, remove the mussels with a slotted spoon and keep warm/low temp in deep, warmed bowls.. you can just cover them in foil, as the added sauce in a few mins, re-heats them.

bring the sauce in the pan to a rolling (not mega hot) boil and reduce by half, or to taste. it should be rich and thick, but stop if the salt from the mussles starts becoming too stong.
leave a little sauce in the pan, as you will have sand in the very last.

pour sauce (+ onions, garlic, parsley) over the mussels liberally, season with a little more pepper, drizzle over with the reduced balsamic (just a little) and garnish with a few sprigs of parsley and a grilled lemon half, dusted with sugar before grilling. loads of fresh bread bread and butter on the side for dipping!

you will know if you got it right, as the mussels will be beautiful, tender and infused.. and the sauce will be rich and flavoursome with the balsamic giving a nice sweet and sour contrast.

it might sound complicated possibly.. do it once and you will be putting it on the table in 15 mins. easy peasy!!

enjoy.

**sabretooth** · 09-10-2006, 22:31

thanks mate, making me hungry now. shame its only me that eats shell fish

**captaincojones** · 10-10-2006, 17:59

that sounds lovely!

**jaidam** · 26-11-2006, 06:42

Cant wait to try this one, thanks smiley.

Do you know why the cream keeps curdling? Looks horrible and doesnt taste as good as the restaurants.

**Jamie Donnelly** · 26-11-2006, 14:17

jaidam - its because the sauce is too hot when you put the cream in. try letting it cool down a little bit.

hope this helps

Jamie

**smiley73** · 26-11-2006, 15:17

Originally Posted by jaidam

Cant wait to try this one, thanks smiley.

Do you know why the cream keeps curdling? Looks horrible and doesnt taste as good as the restaurants.

spot on jamie

you want the cream to reduce (bubble)... not full on rolling boil.

a few degrees less than you are cooking now will make a big difference. if you are still having problems, add a little cream at a time, leaving the stock to cool for a few mins before hand.. once the cream has been added, increase the temp again.

h.t.h and enjoy, al (and welcome to the forum!)

**Trev-one** · 06-12-2006, 15:42

Tried this recipe last night and it's absolutely top notch, thanks must go to Smiley73 for posting it. I bought the mussels from Sainsburys and they were scottish farmed; one or two small ones but overall not at all bad - threw 3 out because they stayed open when I flicked them.

I'd like to get out and forage my own mussels and I think I know a safe bet a few miles from Padstow. Could anyone advise on how best to find out if a bed is safe to eat from? I'm thinking that those near the low tide line will be the safest?

**Jamie Donnelly** · 06-12-2006, 23:24

they would be safe to eat, you could take them and keep them in salty water for a few days, this way they are cleaned.

Jamie

**smiley73** · 07-12-2006, 12:39

Pleasure Trev-one

ill add a little cod dish soon, you may have missed, cod provencal. a must try!

al

**andybaker** · 15-05-2008, 17:52

just a quick question - how long does it take for mussels to be cooked - my g/f cooks for over 20mins - this seems too long to me but they seem okay when eaten.