Mussels in a Creamy Sauce
Show off to your friends and family with this simple mussel dish! Mussels are a fantastic, often overlooked, family food, and a fairly cheap protein source. Try and buy mussels from the UK if you can- they are particular good between September and April. I find many people don't cook them because they don't know how, rather than they don't want to, so I have tried to be as detailed here as I can.
Serves: 3-4 Adults
Prep: 15 Mins
Cooking Time: 15 Mins
Ready In: 30 Mins
- 1kg Mussels
- 1 Clove Garlic
- Knob of butter
- 1 Small Onion/Shallot
- 1 Leek
- 8 Rashers Bacon
- 300ml Chicken Stock
- 150-200ml Double Cream
Optional Extras:
- 1 Heaped Teaspoon Wholegrain Mustard
Or
- 1/2 Tbsp Curry Powder
Or
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Tarragon or Coriander, Chopped
- Fill a large bowl with cold water. One by one, take the mussels and clean and de-beard them- I clean the shell using a vegetable brush and I pull the beard out by hand- this is the bit that looks a little like seaweed. Do this bit quickly before the shell closes up! Discard any that are broken or do not close in cold water/when tapped.
- Finely dice the onion and slice the leek- I like to cut it into half-moons but it's personal choice really! In a large sautee pan (with lid), melt the butter and sautee the onions and leek until soft and translucent. Meanwhile, cut the bacon into bitesize pieces and crush the garlic. Add the bacon and garlic to the pan when the onion is soft, and stir for a few minutes, until the bacon in cooked through.
- Whilst the bacon is cooking boil the kettle and make up the stock.
- Drain the mussels completely and add to the pan, then pour in the stock. Pop the lid on the pan and bring the mix to a boil before turning down to a simmer. The mussels should take about 5 minutes to cook- by which time they should all be open.
- Remove the lid, and pour in the cream. Give it all a stir and gently heat up, before pouring into bowls to serve with a crusty bread. Don't eat any where the shell has stayed closed during cooking.
Method
- Fill a large bowl with cold water. One by one, take the mussels and clean and de-beard them- I clean the shell using a vegetable brush and I pull the beard out by hand- this is the bit that looks a little like seaweed. Do this bit quickly before the shell closes up! Discard any that are broken or do not close in cold water/when tapped.
- Finely dice the onion and slice the leek- I like to cut it into half-moons but it's personal choice really! In a large sautee pan (with lid), melt the butter and sautee the onions and leek until soft and translucent. Meanwhile, cut the bacon into bitesize pieces and crush the garlic. Add the bacon and garlic to the pan when the onion is soft, and stir for a few minutes, until the bacon in cooked through.
- Whilst the bacon is cooking boil the kettle and make up the stock.
- Drain the mussels completely and add to the pan, then pour in the stock. Pop the lid on the pan and bring the mix to a boil before turning down to a simmer. The mussels should take about 5 minutes to cook- by which time they should all be open.
- Remove the lid, and pour in the cream. Give it all a stir and gently heat up, before pouring into bowls to serve with a crusty bread. Don't eat any where the shell has stayed closed during cooking.
Ingredients
- 1kg Mussels
- 1 Clove Garlic
- Knob of butter
- 1 Small Onion/Shallot
- 1 Leek
- 8 Rashers Bacon
- 300ml Chicken Stock
- 150-200ml Double Cream
Optional Extras:
- 1 Heaped Teaspoon Wholegrain Mustard
Or
- 1/2 Tbsp Curry Powder
Or
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Tarragon or Coriander, Chopped
Additional Information
Lightly cooked mussels are not generally recommended to children under the age of 5 due to the risk of food poisoning. They can also pose a choking risk as they are a fairly firm, chewy meat. However, I have found that now my kids are older, the novelty of eating from shells can be quite fun for them, so don't be worried about trying it because it's too 'adult'!
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