Hello, young Padawan
From July to February, you can enjoy the best mussels on the planet, namely the Bouchot mussels from the bay of Mont Saint-Michel, France. So, as soon as we talk about shellfish or stuff like that, many of us are afraid of not knowing how to prepare or cook them.
Don’t worry, we’re going to prepare the simplest recipe together, but for me, the tastiest, the “moules marinière” à la française.
Mussels
An excellent source of iodine, protein, iron, omega 3, and B12 for a healthy brain and nervous system, mussels are a panacea for the body. Low in calories, they are also rich in manganese, selenium, phosphorus, copper, and zinc.
Mussels also contain two fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EAP) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which support heart function and help maintain blood pressure and normal blood triglyceride levels.
In short, if you want to take care of your thyroid, heart, and brain function and support your immune defenses, eat mussels regularly!
Moules marinières, à la Chill
For 2 servings
2 liters, or 50 oz of bouchot mussels from the bay of Mont Saint-Michel, prepared by your fishmonger
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of butter
1/3 cup of white wine
1 cup of water
a bunch of fresh parsley
a pinch of salt
Madagascar pepper
Optional mandatory: a small salad of your choice and a bowl of fries per guest!
Recipe
Peel the garlic and onion. Finely chop the onion and pass the garlic through a garlic press (or finely chop the two cloves of garlic). Wash, dry, and finely chop the parsley.
If you are making oven fries to accompany them, now is the time to put the fries on the hot rack of your oven…
In a hot Dutch oven or the pot (with a lid) of your choice, place the butter, onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt and brown them for 10 minutes over medium-high heat.
Take advantage of the cooking time to drain and rinse the mussels in plenty of water to remove the last bits of seaweed or shellfish. Remove any broken or open mussels. They should all be closed.
Deglaze the onions and garlic with white wine, rub with a wooden spatula to collect the juices, add the water, and boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the mussels, cover, and cook over high heat until they open, stirring gently once after three minutes, reduce to medium-high heat and cover again. They are cooked when all have opened, after 5-7 minutes of cooking. Turn off the heat, season with pepper, add the finely chopped parsley, and stir gently.
Presentation
Pour the mussels into soup plates using a ladle, and put the lid back on the pot to keep the remaining ones warm. Don’t forget the small salad and the bowl of fries.
Accompany them with a good glass of beer, like from our Belgian friends, or a good dry but aromatic white wine, like a Chardonnay, for example.
All that’s left for me to do is wish you a bon appetite and a wonderful weekend. Well, if it starts with moules marinière, it can only be excellent!
XO. 🌿
