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Mussels in cider

Serve this hero dish as a starter for four or as a main for two
mussels in cider

Josh and Holly Eggleton, authors of The Pony Cookbook share a recipe for mussels in cider

Serves    2 or 4

Mussels 500g

Clams (if you can find them, my favourite clam is a surf clam) 250g

Cockles 250g

Cold-pressed rapeseed oil 2 tbsp

Brown onion or banana shallot 1

Celery 2 sticks

Carrot 1

Leek, green parts removed 1

Celeriac 1/4

Bay leaf 1

Garlic butter 50g

Dry local cider 300ml

Double cream or crème fraîche

Chardonnay vinegar 10ml

Parsley

Lovage

  1. Start by separately washing all the shellfish thoroughly under cold running water.
  2. Start with the cockles about an hour before you want to start cooking – soaking them in cold, slowly running water to try and remove any sediment or sand.
  3. Remove the beards of the mussels, and run them under cold water too. Wash the clams thoroughly under cold running water, but make sure the different shellfish are kept separate.
  4. Dice all the vegetables into 5mm cubes – the French call this mace doine.
  5. Put a large pan, for which you have a lid, on a medium heat. Add the rapeseed oil and wait for it to warm up and then add the vegetables and the bay leaf. Add in a tablespoon of water, pop the lid on and allow the vegetables to sweat, i.e cook without colouring.
  6. When the vegetables start to soften, add in the garlic butter and pop the lid on for another minute.
  7. After a minute add in the clams and the cockles and the cider.
  8. Pop the lid back on and give the pan a big shake. Allow the cider to start to evaporate and become steam, which will cook the shellfish.
  9. After another minute, add in the mussels and give the pan another good shake with the lid on. Leave the shellfish to cook for another minute.
  10. Take the lid off, give it a stir with a slotted spoon and check all the shells are open. The shellfish should be nicely coloured and not translucent – if there are any still translucent or some not opened, pop the lid back on and cook for another minute.
  11. Take the lid off and with a slotted spoon remove the shellfish into the bowls you’re serving in.
  12. Put the vegetables back on the heat and reduce the liquid by a third. Add in a generous crack of black pepper, the cream and the chardonnay vinegar and stir to combine.
  13. Finally, add in the sliced parsley and lovage and spoon the mixture over the hot shellfish. We’d recommend serving with a slice of lightly toasted sourdough or any fresh bread.

You will need

Mussels 500g

Clams (if you can find them, my favourite clam is a surf clam) 250g

Cockles 250g

Cold-pressed rapeseed oil 2 tbsp

Brown onion or banana shallot 1

Celery 2 sticks

Carrot 1

Leek, green parts removed 1

Celeriac 1/4

Bay leaf 1

Garlic butter 50g

Dry local cider 300ml

Double cream or crème fraîche

Chardonnay vinegar 10ml

Parsley

Lovage

Method

  1. Start by separately washing all the shellfish thoroughly under cold running water.
  2. Start with the cockles about an hour before you want to start cooking – soaking them in cold, slowly running water to try and remove any sediment or sand.
  3. Remove the beards of the mussels, and run them under cold water too. Wash the clams thoroughly under cold running water, but make sure the different shellfish are kept separate.
  4. Dice all the vegetables into 5mm cubes – the French call this mace doine.
  5. Put a large pan, for which you have a lid, on a medium heat. Add the rapeseed oil and wait for it to warm up and then add the vegetables and the bay leaf. Add in a tablespoon of water, pop the lid on and allow the vegetables to sweat, i.e cook without colouring.
  6. When the vegetables start to soften, add in the garlic butter and pop the lid on for another minute.
  7. After a minute add in the clams and the cockles and the cider.
  8. Pop the lid back on and give the pan a big shake. Allow the cider to start to evaporate and become steam, which will cook the shellfish.
  9. After another minute, add in the mussels and give the pan another good shake with the lid on. Leave the shellfish to cook for another minute.
  10. Take the lid off, give it a stir with a slotted spoon and check all the shells are open. The shellfish should be nicely coloured and not translucent – if there are any still translucent or some not opened, pop the lid back on and cook for another minute.
  11. Take the lid off and with a slotted spoon remove the shellfish into the bowls you’re serving in.
  12. Put the vegetables back on the heat and reduce the liquid by a third. Add in a generous crack of black pepper, the cream and the chardonnay vinegar and stir to combine.
  13. Finally, add in the sliced parsley and lovage and spoon the mixture over the hot shellfish. We’d recommend serving with a slice of lightly toasted sourdough or any fresh bread.
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Mussels 500g

Clams (if you can find them, my favourite clam is a surf clam) 250g

Cockles 250g

Cold-pressed rapeseed oil 2 tbsp

Brown onion or banana shallot 1

Celery 2 sticks

Carrot 1

Leek, green parts removed 1

Celeriac 1/4

Bay leaf 1

Garlic butter 50g

Dry local cider 300ml

Double cream or crème fraîche

Chardonnay vinegar 10ml

Parsley

Lovage

  1. Start by separately washing all the shellfish thoroughly under cold running water.
  2. Start with the cockles about an hour before you want to start cooking – soaking them in cold, slowly running water to try and remove any sediment or sand.
  3. Remove the beards of the mussels, and run them under cold water too. Wash the clams thoroughly under cold running water, but make sure the different shellfish are kept separate.
  4. Dice all the vegetables into 5mm cubes – the French call this mace doine.
  5. Put a large pan, for which you have a lid, on a medium heat. Add the rapeseed oil and wait for it to warm up and then add the vegetables and the bay leaf. Add in a tablespoon of water, pop the lid on and allow the vegetables to sweat, i.e cook without colouring.
  6. When the vegetables start to soften, add in the garlic butter and pop the lid on for another minute.
  7. After a minute add in the clams and the cockles and the cider.
  8. Pop the lid back on and give the pan a big shake. Allow the cider to start to evaporate and become steam, which will cook the shellfish.
  9. After another minute, add in the mussels and give the pan another good shake with the lid on. Leave the shellfish to cook for another minute.
  10. Take the lid off, give it a stir with a slotted spoon and check all the shells are open. The shellfish should be nicely coloured and not translucent – if there are any still translucent or some not opened, pop the lid back on and cook for another minute.
  11. Take the lid off and with a slotted spoon remove the shellfish into the bowls you’re serving in.
  12. Put the vegetables back on the heat and reduce the liquid by a third. Add in a generous crack of black pepper, the cream and the chardonnay vinegar and stir to combine.
  13. Finally, add in the sliced parsley and lovage and spoon the mixture over the hot shellfish. We’d recommend serving with a slice of lightly toasted sourdough or any fresh bread.