Mussolini, Musselini
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Mussel season is here again. Yay!
And that was what we had for dinner this evening. This came after a ban from my husband some 2 weeks ago. Whilst in Paris during a business trip, he had mussels cooked in a thick creamy sauce swimming with chunks of bacon. "How could you eat that? It's so rich." I asked incredulously. My stomach would have rebelled and hurled everything out.
"I know," he says. "I don't want to see or hear about mussels for the next few weeks."
So today I tested the waters, asking if he was game for the shellfish tonight. He said it would nice.
This is the way I cook my mussels: Place washed mussels and chopped vegetables into a huge saucepan. Sprinkle some sea salt and white pepper. Fill up the pot with just enough water so that it's about the same level as the mussels and vegetables. Cover and cook on high heat, letting the steam work its magic. Once the shells have opened up, it's done. Serve hot with bread and sauces.
The reason I choose to use only salt and pepper and nothing else is to enable the taste of mussels and vegetables to come through. As a result, the soup is incredibly yummy in a 'clean' way. Because of this, it's imperative that only the freshest mussels are used.
There are no photos today because my battery died just as I was going to shoot one. Bah! However, I will promise you pics of another mussel dish I plan to make on Monday - Chilli Mussels, Australian style.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 5:55 pm
