Recipe: Moules (Mussels) mariniere

Name: Moules (Mussels) mariniere
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 4 Servings; 4.25 qt (4 litres) "bouchot" Mussels; 80 gms butter; 4 med shallots; chopped fine; 1/2.1 qt (2 litre) muscadet; 1 heaped tb italian parsley; chopped coarsely; salt (a little)Freshly ground black pepper; 1 pinch thyme flowers; 1 bayleaf

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.9/5 (25 reviews) · 🍳 19 made it

Recipe Moules (Mussels) mariniere - Chef Patrick Asfaux — Photo: Aftouch-cuisine

Prep 30 min

Cook 20 min

Total 50 min

Servings 4 serv.

Faster than a beef stew, less rich than cream-based shellfish: mussels marinière takes 30 minutes flat for a result that delivers. Muscadet does the heavy lifting, caramelized shallots soften the acidity, and you get a broth worth sipping straight from the bowl.

Ingredients for 4 servings

Adjust for

servings

4 Servings
4.25 qt (4 litres) "bouchot" Mussels
80 gms butter
4 med shallots; chopped fine
1/2.1 qt (2 litre) muscadet
1 heaped tb italian parsley; chopped coarsely

salt (a little)Freshly ground black pepper

1 pinch thyme flowers
1 bayleaf

Step-by-step directions

clean the mussels thoroughly before putting them into a large container,

filled with cold water. Stir them around, wait 5 minutes and then remove all

those that are floating - they are dead.

In your saucepan, melt the butter and gently sweat the shallots without allowing them to take colour. Add the muscadet, the thyme flowers (just a tiny amount) the bayleaf, and a touch of salt, be generous with the pepper on the other hand.3 good turns of the mill. Bring to the boil and simmer very gently 10 minutes.

Add your mussels, and stir them round until they are all open. Add your

parsley at the last minute and serve forthwith.

The recipe can serve as the basis from many others, with cream, curry

powder, with jurancon or sauternes wines, with lemon (excellent) and with

orange, etc etc

A chef's advice

The key here is cooking the Muscadet and shallots for 10 minutes before adding the mussels. You reduce the white wine's acidity and gain a rounded sauce without the lingering bitterness. For wine, a Muscadet sur lie naturally holds its own: the barrel aging knits the butter's richness, and acidity keeps the broth fresh. If you prefer, Spanish Albariño does exactly the same job with more marked minerality. Old Charentais cooks finished with a few drops of cognac: worth trying if you like roundness.