Live mussels (ideally from Porthilly) 1kg Unsalted butter 50g Shallot 1 medium, peeled and finely chopped Leek 1 medium, washed and finely sliced Garlic cloves 2, peeled and finely chopped Cider 300ml Cornish clotted cream 4 tbsp Fresh flat-leaf parsley 3 tbsp, chopped Cornish sea salt and ground black pepper

Wash the mussels under cold running water and remove any wispy beards from the shells. Make sure all the mussels are alive – discard any with broken or cracked shells, and any open mussels that don’t close when tapped on a hard surface. Melt the butter in a very large pan over a medium heat. Add the shallot, leek and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the cider, bring to the boil, then add the mussels. Cover and cook for 5–7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that are still closed after cooking. Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon and divide among 6 warmed deep bowls. Return the pan to the heat, bring the cooking liquid to the boil and bubble for 2–3 minutes to reduce. Stir in the cream and parsley, then season the sauce and pour over the mussels. Find more Cornish recipes in Emily’s new cookbook Sea & Shore: Recipes and Stories from a Kitchen in Cornwall .

Mains, Starters

Porthilly mussels with leek, cider and clotted cream

Leek, cider and Cornish clotted cream add depth and richness to this Porthilly mussel dish

Added on September 8, 2021

Emily Scott, chef patron at Emily Scott Food at Watergate Bay and author of Sea & Shore: Recipes and Stories from a Kitchen in Cornwall, shares her recipe for Porthilly mussels with leek, cider and clotted cream

www.emilyscottfood.com

Serves 6

You will need

Live mussels (ideally from Porthilly) 1kg
Unsalted butter 50g
Shallot 1 medium, peeled and finely chopped
Leek 1 medium, washed and finely sliced
Garlic cloves 2, peeled and finely chopped
Cider 300ml
Cornish clotted cream 4 tbsp
Fresh flat-leaf parsley 3 tbsp, chopped
Cornish sea salt and ground black pepper

Method

Wash the mussels under cold running water and remove any wispy beards from the shells. Make sure all the mussels are alive – discard any with broken or cracked shells, and any open mussels that don’t close when tapped on a hard surface.
Melt the butter in a very large pan over a medium heat. Add the shallot, leek and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
Pour in the cider, bring to the boil, then add the mussels. Cover and cook for 5–7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that are still closed after cooking.
Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon and divide among 6 warmed deep bowls. Return the pan to the heat, bring the cooking liquid to the boil and bubble for 2–3 minutes to reduce.
Stir in the cream and parsley, then season the sauce and pour over the mussels.

Find more Cornish recipes in Emily’s new cookbook Sea & Shore: Recipes and Stories from a Kitchen in Cornwall.

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You will need

Live mussels (ideally from Porthilly) 1kg
Unsalted butter 50g
Shallot 1 medium, peeled and finely chopped
Leek 1 medium, washed and finely sliced
Garlic cloves 2, peeled and finely chopped
Cider 300ml
Cornish clotted cream 4 tbsp
Fresh flat-leaf parsley 3 tbsp, chopped
Cornish sea salt and ground black pepper

Method

Wash the mussels under cold running water and remove any wispy beards from the shells. Make sure all the mussels are alive – discard any with broken or cracked shells, and any open mussels that don’t close when tapped on a hard surface.
Melt the butter in a very large pan over a medium heat. Add the shallot, leek and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
Pour in the cider, bring to the boil, then add the mussels. Cover and cook for 5–7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that are still closed after cooking.
Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon and divide among 6 warmed deep bowls. Return the pan to the heat, bring the cooking liquid to the boil and bubble for 2–3 minutes to reduce.
Stir in the cream and parsley, then season the sauce and pour over the mussels.

Find more Cornish recipes in Emily’s new cookbook Sea & Shore: Recipes and Stories from a Kitchen in Cornwall.