Moules Marinieres

Mussels

This recipe was given to me nearly 40 years ago by a cousin who lives in Dieppe (France). Her husband and I picked the mussels from the local rocky beach and thoroughly cleaned them off barnacles and sand. She cooked them in front of me while I wrote down the recipe.
Nowadays, rope-hung mussels do not take much time to clean but make sure you place them in a large bowl filled with cold water for 10 minutes. Lift them out, discard the water and sediment and then repeat the process to ensure they are thoroughly clean.

INGREDIENTS:
½ lb of fresh mussels per person
1 onion quartered
1 stick of celery
1 carrot cut in half lengthwise
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 lemon cut in half
½ glass of dry white wine per person (maximum 2 glasses)
¼ pint of whipping or double cream
A small pinch of thyme
1 bay leaf
½ doz. black peppercorns
No need for salt.

METHOD:

Place all the ingredients except the mussels and the cream into a large pan.
Boil the wine for 2 minutes.
Drain the mussels.
Tap unopened mussels gently. If they do not close, discard them.
Add the mussels to the pan.
Cover the pan with a tight lid.
Boil for 2 minutes.
Shake the pan gently and boil for a further 2 minutes.
Check that all the mussels have opened and become plump.
Using a slotted spoon, take all the mussels out of the pan into a serving bowl and keep them in a warm place. Discard any unopened ones.
Add the cream to the cooking liquor and boil for a couple of minutes until the sauce covers the back of a spoon.
Pour over the mussels and serve immediately with crusty bread.