Mussels in White Wine

History

I did not eat fresh mussels until I was 30! I had eaten mussels from a tin - and I liked them but I had never eaten fresh mussels until I went on holiday in St Jean de Monts, France. Nasir, Alex and I were invited by Nasir's brother and French wife to go and stay with them in Paris and then go on a two week holiday by the sea. Michele, my sister-in-law, is a fantastic cook and she showed me how to prepare mussels and her way of cooking them. Delicious. Since then I have not looked back and given the opportunity I just love having the Belgian dish of moules frites.

IngredientsServes 4

• 1 tbs olive oil   
• 2 shallots   
• 2 cloves of garlic   
• few parsley stalks   
• 150 ml dry white wine   
• 2.25 (4 pints) fresh mussels, cleaned   
• 1 tbs chopped parsley   
• pepper to taste   
• lemon wedges   
• Crusty French bread  

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan which has a tightly fitting lid. Add the shallots and garlic to the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the parsley stalks and wine, mix well and bring to the boil.

Add the mussels, cover and cooked for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells open; discard any that do not. Turn into a large serving bowl or 4 individual bowls, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and black pepper and serve immediately with the lemon wedges and some fresh crusty French bread.

Note:
To clean mussels first check they are firmly closed. Any that are open should be sharply tapped. They will close if they are alive. Any dead ones that remain open must be discarded. Use a small strong knife and scrape the shells under running cold water to remove anything clining to them. Pull of the "beard" the hairy strands attached to the hinge of the shell. Wash the mussels in several changes of water and cook them on the day of purchase.