Recipe
for :
 This
recipe for Moules Marinieres comes from Chef
Jim Fisher who now runs cooking holidays in
the Dordogne.
If
you would like to know more about Jim and how he gained
his love of cooking why not have a look at his biography
page <click
here>
To
find out more about the cooking holidays in France at
Jim's cooking school in the Dordogne you will need to
visit his web site <click
here>
Also
see article about Buying
and Preparing Mussels
Ingredients
for Moules Marinieres
extra
virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
juice and thinly-pared zest of a lemon
1 glass dry white wine
1 to 1.5kg (3 lb) live mussels, prepared as above
handful of chopped fresh parsley
1 tomato, seeded and diced
How
to make Moules Marinieres
- Place
a large saucepan over a low heat and sweat off the
onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent.
Add lemon zest and the wine, turn up the heat and
allow to reduce until there is hardly any liquid left
in the pan (watch it like a hawk at this stage - it
can 'catch' very easily).
- Now,
turn the heat up as far as it will go and throw in
the mussels. Clamp on the lid and allow to 'steam'
for one or two minutes, shaking the pan every so often.
Have a look inside - if the mussels have opened about
a centimetre or so they are 'done' - never ever overcook
seafood, there is simply no point and it tastes awful!
- Now,
drain through a colander reserving the liquid. Tip
the mussels into a heatproof serving dish and cover
with a clean T-towel, setting them aside while you
finish off the dish.
- The
mussel liquor will contain quite a bit of grit so
carefully pour the liquid back into the pan leaving
the grit behind, turn up the heat for a rolling boil
and reduce the liquid by half. Add half the lemon
juice, stir in the parsley, then check the seasoning.
Finally, throw in the chopped tomato and pour the
sauce over the mussels.
- Serve
with some crusty French bread, or loads of incredibly
thin chips!
Serves
4
Enjoy
your Moules Marinieres with a glass of chilled, refreshing
white wine!
Chef
Jim Fisher
CookInFrance
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