Mussels with White Wine & Mushrooms
Here is a fishy starter specifically for mussel lovers: Coquilles de Moules a la Rochelaise. It requires a little more preparation than other recipes but preparation can be started the day before.
Serves: 6 as a starter
Ingredients
- 2kg Mussels
- Flour or Oatmeal
- 4 Shallots
- 2 Sticks Celery
- 225g Button Mushrooms
- Chives
- 50g Butter
- 1 1/2 wineglasses of White Wine
- 75-100g Fresh white Breadcrumbs
- Chopped Parsley
- Nutmeg
- Salt & Pepper
Method
- Soak the mussels in cold water with a handful of flour or oatmeal for 1 - 2 hours.
- Scrape them well and wash in at least 3 changes of cold water
- Chop the shallots finely. Wash the celery, wipe the mushrooms and chop both finely. Chop the chives.
- Fry the shallots in the butter in a large pan until they are soft.
- Add the celery, mushrooms and chives, reserving some.
- Add the wine, mussels and season well.
- Cover and cook over a high heat for 4 -5 mins, shaking the pan from time to time. The mussels are cooked when the shells are open. Do not over cook
- Remove the mussels from the pan and reduce the liquor by half by boiling briskly
- Add enough fresh breadcrumbs to bind the sauce.
- Stir in a large spoonful of chopped parsley and chives.
- To serve, place a little sauce in the bottom of the dish then add the mussels.
- Cover with the rest of the sauce and brown for 5 mins at 210C Gas 7, if liked
Tips
Only serve mussels which have opened their shells. Discard the rest.
This recipe is from a WI Home Skills booklet; Dinner Parties printed in 1979