MOULES Marini res Chef

MOULES Marini res Chef Spencer Richards from Normandy Cooking Days gives a lesson on how to make the most perfect Moules Marinieres... Moules Marinières, that oh-so-French dish that we all love – did you know though that if you add cream to the stock, it’s called Moules Normandie?! So let’s start with a few basics. You will find great moules at markets in France as well as in shops. You should be able to find them at supermarkets and fishmongers in most towns around the world. They come in different sizes, personally I prefer the smallest ones, I find them sweeter and a stronger colour than the big ones. It takes longer to eat them, but what’s the hurry? You have a delicious bottle of chilled Chablis to drink them with, right? I like to buy them in the morning and leave them in cold water for the day to give them a final wash. You should discard any that are broken and any open ones should close when you tap them, if they don’t chuck them away – they’re dead. Then cut or pull off any rope (beards) left attached to the shell. You can cook the mussels in batches if you only have small pans, but remember to retain the stock for each batch. "Always use the shells as pincers to eat the next one with"

You'll need A large pot with a lid (or a moules pot) 500g of fresh mussels in the shell per person 1 Large Onion 1 Head of Celery 2 or more Cloves of Garlic Bouquet Garni Butter or Olive Oil ½ litre of water 1 glass of Dry White Wine Parsley Optional Extras: Cream; apple juiceor still Cider orCalvados (apple brandy) 1. Rough dice the onion and celery and sweat them in your biggest pot with some olive oil (or butter). 2. Add the garlic and sweat the mix some more (you do not want to caramelise or colour any of this). 3. Add the water and a pinch of salt and the wine (check it’s up to standard first). 4. Add the bouquet Garni. Let it all come up to the boil and then add the mussels. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or until they have all opened. (Discard any that didn’t open during the cooking process). Serve in bowls, cover with stock, sprinkle some fresh parsley over and eat with fresh baguette and good friends. To give your moules dish a Normandy twist, add a splash of flat (not fizzy) cider or better still Calvados ( apple juice for those on a detox) and then a couple of tablespoons of cream. Always use heavy or double as single will split.