← Nouns Cooking · French

Ingredients

• 2 kg Mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 40 g Butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 1 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 pinch Saffron (optional)
• 200 ml Crème fraîche
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp Parsley, chopped
• Black pepper

Method

1. Discard any mussels with broken shells or that stay open when tapped.
2. Melt half the butter in a large pot over medium heat and soften the shallots and garlic for 3 min. Add the wine, turn up the heat and bring to the boil.
3. Tip in the mussels, cover and cook for 4–5 min, shaking the pot, until they have opened. Lift them into a warm bowl with a slotted spoon, throwing away any that stay shut, and strain the cooking juices through a fine sieve.
4. Melt the remaining butter in the pot, stir in the curry powder and saffron for 30 seconds, then add the strained juices and boil for 3 min to reduce slightly.
5. Whisk the crème fraîche with the egg yolk, stir into the pot and heat gently, stirring, for 2 min until slightly thickened. Do not let it boil or the yolk will curdle.
6. Season with pepper, return the mussels and toss to coat. Scatter with parsley and serve with bread or frites.

Tips

• Many Charentais cooks remove the top shell of each mussel before saucing so it is easier to eat.
• Shellfish and egg are allergens; check your curry powder is gluten-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

French Cooking Academy The Good Life France Delicious Magazine (Rick Stein)