I first enjoyed a version of this dish when travelling in Europe and knew it was something special to be shared. By creating the Verjuice and cream combination you get a silky, sweet and sour broth that mixes very well with the mussels and vegetables. The dish can be enjoyed as a light meal or even an accompaniment to a larger dish. I am sure you will agree that this is one of those classic combinations that just works.
Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes for vegetables plus 4 minutes for mussels
Ingredients
- 1kg/2¼lb mussels*
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- ½ leek (white only), finely sliced
- ½ cup/85g/3oz mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup/120ml/4fl.oz heavy/double cream
- ¼ cup/60ml/2fl.oz Verjuice
- Cracked pepper to taste
*ensure that your mussels are closed before cooking. If they are wide open, they are quite often dead, tap the shell gently – if the mussel closes, then they are safe to eat.
Method
- Rinse and de-beard mussels.
- Heat olive oil in a heavy pot.
- Sauté vegetables until soft, but not brown.
- Add mussels, heavy cream, pepper and Verjuice. Cover and steam on high heat approximately 4 minutes, until mussels are opened.
- When serving pour broth over mussels.
- Enjoy with a crusty baguette.
