8 oz Buttery shortcrust pastry
2 1/2 kg Rope-cultured mussels in the
-shell
150 ml Dry white wine
150 ml Water
2 Bay leaves
1 Shallot; chopped
-SAUCE-
Mussel liquor; sieved finely
1 Clove garlic; crushed
150 ml Double cream
2 tb Flat leaf parsley; chopped
1 Sprig winter savory; chopped
Salt and black pepper
Parsley to garnish
Wash the mussels and remove the beards. Make 4 tart cases and bake blind.
Heat the wine and water, bay leaf and shallot in a wide large pan until
bubbling. Cook the mussels a few at a time, removing them as soon as they
open. Discard any that refuse to open. Take the cooked mussel meat out of
the shells, removing the liquor. Strain the liquor through a fine sieve to
use in the sauce.
To make the sauce, fry the chopped shallot and garlic in the butter. Add
the mussel liquor and cream, and reduce so that the cream caramelises. Add
the chopped herbs, seasonings and sugar to taste. Go easy on the salt as
the mussel liquor is very salty.
Finish with a squeeze of lemon to sharpen the sauce, and finally drop in
the mussels to heat through.
Put the pastry cases on to serving plates and fill with the mussel mixture,
allowing it to spill over on to the plate on one side.
Drizzle a little sauce around the plate and finish with a spray of parsley.
Yields
1 servings