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Waitrose

Mouclade of Mussels

"There's no problem making this dish in advance," says Vicki, "up to the point of adding the sauce. Cool it quickly, then chill; when you need it, put it in a hot oven for 30 minutes. You'll want a sharply dressed salad and crusty bread with it, too."

Preparation time:
45 minutes
Cooking time:
5 minutes
Total time:
50 minutes 50 minutes
Serves:
 6

Ingredients

  • 5 shallots, roughly chopped
  • 400ml dry white wine
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 thyme sprig
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3kg mussels, washed and scrubbed, beards removed, shells tightly closed
  • Sauce
  • 150g butter
  • 3 shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 pinch saffron threads
  • 200ml double cream
  • 10g parsley, finely chopped

Method

  1. Put the shallots in a large saucepan with the wine, vinegar, thyme and bay leaf and bring to the boil.
  2. Add the mussels, cover and cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes, shaking vigorously from time to time, until all the shells have opened. Take the pan off the heat and remove the mussels with a slotted spoon, reserving the broth. Take the mussels out of their shells and place in a large baking dish; set aside.
  3. For the sauce, melt the butter in another pan and sweat the shallots for 4-5 minutes until soft and transparent. Stir in the flour and while it is bubbling, add a ladleful of the mussel broth and the saffron threads, stirring continuously. Add the cream and strain in the remaining broth; simmer for 5-10 minutes until it is of a coating consistency. Add the parsley and season. Spoon the sauce over the mussels and put under a hot grill for about 5 minutes until it is bubbling.