Sandra's Moules Mariniers

We had a very special treat on Mothering Sunday....Chef Sandra  brought a huge bag of mussels from our local market to the kitchens at Chester Row and taught us a few things about cooking... and eating muscles !

First we prepared the little creatures by scrubbing them under cold water, removing the barnacles, sand and grit.  Then we gave the beards a forceful tug with a knife and discarded any that were still open.
Sandra's secret recipe included generous amounts of garlic, shallots, parsley, wine and butter.  She kept the pot boiling until she could see them begin to pop open.  At the very last minute, she "hand-squeezed" a few ripe tomatoes to add color and flavor to the sauce.

Here, "lefty" is showing how to use one of the muscle shells to pinch out the sweet meat of another.  She claims it is "proper" to do this in the finest restaurants ....... I'm not too sure about that!  

One thing I do know is that it is NOT proper to pick up the bowl and drink every last bit of broth,

but we did it anyway!   

Bon Appetit, Mate!