Mussels with wine, cream, garlic and parsley. A quintessential French bistro dish.
Examine mussels before using. If they’re gritty or have lots of beards (it’ll look like bits of hair coming out from between their shells), scrub them well under cold water and pull out the beards by grabbing them and pulling towards the hinge-end of the mussels. Farm-raised mussels are generally quite clean when they are sold. Discard any cracked mussels or open mussels that don’t close when tapped with another mussel.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 kg / 2 pounds mussels, cleaned
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Kosher salt
Crusty baguette, to serve
Preparation:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat
Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes
Add the mussels, wine and butter, and season well with salt
Give it a good stir, cover the pot, and cook until mussels open and are cooked through, about 5 minutes
Add the cream and the chopped parsley and remove from the heat
Spoon into two large warmed bowls and serve with lots of crusty bread
Enjoy!
Maison Travers 
This wonderful dish from Normandy must by now be a world-wide favourite and you have given a classic recipe for those who do not have the chance to make this oft. Most prepare it this way: like Rick Stein and many Australian chefs I oft do not add the cream, just the wine and possibly a little fresh fish stock if available. A few sprigs of thyme are nice . . . Well, sometimes perchance just a tad of creme fraiche 🙂 ! By the bye, interestingly Raymond le Blanc suggests one does not scrub the beasties as the stock afterwards may have a greyish tinge . . .
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Interesting, I wonder why scrubbing would cause the stock to be greyish. Mine has never looked grey. I do agree that a few sprigs of thyme would only add to the flavour.
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Oh, according to him there is oft a colour transference from the scrubbed shell into the sauce afterwards: most of the ones I get have not really needed scrubbing 🙂 !
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Interesting. Mine are usually very clean too, just a few beards to pull out but good to know.
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Mmm I just love steamed mussels, but never had them with cream. I’m sure it’s lovely!
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You definitely must give it a try. Lovely and not too rich or creamy at all because it is mixed with the wine.
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I had moules with cream about a dozen years ago in a sweet little restaurant called “La Cigale” in St. Martin… incroyable!
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It is one of life’s simple pleasures.
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I cook them a similar way and love it, takes me right to the seaside 😍
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It is the perfect way to cook them and so delicious.
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That is my speciality. Good, french classics that stand the test of time.
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Another classic!
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Seconds? Yes please! And thirds … ❤️
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Luckily mussels are incredibly low calorie! The perfect food.
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My late mother-in-law taught me to eat them when I was a gauche 21 year-old. She was of the same opinion as you and I can still see her pinching them up with her claw paw as she called the empty shell …
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