Classic French Recipes | Moules Mariniere

Moules marinière

There can be few more sociable or fun dishes to serve up to friends than a big steaming bowl of fresh mussels, cooked quickly with garlic and white wine and accompanied by a heap of home-cooked frites. And don’t forget the crusty bread to mop up the juices with.

The dish is popular in the south and by the coast, of course, but certain inland towns and cities in the North see it as a local speciality too. In Lille, for example, at the annual Braderie – a huge antiques market that takes over the entire city – tonnes of moules are cooked up for hungry shoppers and the piles of discarded shells then line the streets in spectacular fashion.

Simple, delicious and cheap, this dish is one of France’s classics.

To serve 4 people:

Ingredients

2kg mussels – fresh if possible
50g butter
A splash of vegetable oil
One clove of garlic, finely chopped
Bunch of flat-leaf or curly parsley
3 chopped shallots or one onion
3 glasses of white wine

It’s vital that you clean the mussels correctly. Scrub the shells and rip off the straggly beards. If you see any that are open and won’t close when you press them, discard them.

Take a big, deep pan, heat the oil and butter and slowly fry off the garlic and shallots before adding the wine and finely chopped parsley.

Add the mussels, put the lid on and steam for about two minutes, shaking the pan to ensure even cooking. The mussels will now be opened and cooked. If you do find any that are still closed, thrown them away.

Once you have served the mussels up, add some of the delicious cooking liquid to each portion.

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