Moules Mariniere

First of all, I don't generally eat any sort of seafood, so jumping straight in with molluscs was not the most appealing start. Mussels seem somewhat extravagant to us in the UK, but I was surprised how easy this cheap and impressive meal was to knock together.

Ingredients
1Kg mussels
25g chopped shallots
1/4 pt white wine
Chopped parsley
Double cream (optional)

Method
De-beard the shells and remove any barnacles with a knife. Whack them in a bowl of cold water. (Shit, I think I sound like Jamie Oliver!)

I knew that closed mussels should be discarded after cooking, however, one tip I picked up was that prior to cooking you should give open mussels a tap. Any that don't close are dead and therefore no good. Throw them away.

Get a heavy based pan onto a high flame. Add the shallots, white wine and mussels. When it comes to the wine, the simple rule is if you won't drink it, don't cook with it. Cover with a lid.

When the mussels have opened they should be ready. They generally need only 4-5 minutes, any longer and they will turn rubbery. That said, The Waist of Shoelace takes no responsibility for any deaths/illnesses incurred as a result of eating undercooked seafood.

If not using cream, sprinkle in the parsley and spoon over the liquor. Otherwise, remove the mussels from the pan and reduce the cooking liquor by half before adding the cream. Re-boil to thicken slightly, then add the parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

Pour over the mussels, then serve with crusty bread, a nice dry white and a fingerbowl. Awesome to stick on a big platter between a load of mates.

The Verdict
I still can't say I'm totally sold on mussels, but I gave them a try, and ending up eating two or three. They are quite meaty, not really fishy at all, and not anywhere near as slimy as you might expect. I found them to have a similar texture to cheese curds. I particularly enjoyed dipping the bread into the tasty sauce. Although I'm not a complete mollusc convert, what I am attracted to is the adventure surrounding the meal. Everyone gathers round and gets stuck in, and after you've withdrawn your first morsel, you can swill out the shell in your fingerbowl and use as tongs for further extraction. I would certainly serve these up as an appetiser I wouldn't mind missing out on while preparing something else. I'm sure they would go down a treat with any seafood lovers.