Moules marinière
A classic all year round
The good thing about mussels is you can eat them all year round! We, French, have many uses for them – gratin, omelette, stuffed, in soups, casseroles, in salads – but my favourite is the most traditional use of them: Moules marinière. This Normandy classic is simple to cook at home, especially as you can now easily buy mussels that have already been cleaned and de-bearded.
Ingredients Required
For the mussels
- 1.8kg
- very fresh good-quality mussels
- 100ml
- dry white wine
- 20g
- unsalted butter
- 1
- small white onion, peeled and very finely chopped
- 4
- bay leaves
- 8
- thyme sprigs
- 2 tbsp
- whipping cream
- 3 tbsp
- roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Cooking Method
Chef tips
"The secret, as ever, is in the freshness of the mussels. A fresh mussel is shiny, closed and heavy with seawater, with no ‘fishy’ smell."
"For an Indian twist, add a generous pinch of Madras curry powder to the onion and finish the dish with lemon juice and freshly chopped coriander."
"For a Thai flavour, add some chopped fresh chilli, garlic, lemongrass and a kaffir lime leaf; replace the cream with creamed coconut or coconut milk."
Recipe © Raymond Blanc 2018
Food Photography © Chris Terry 2018
This recipe is adapted from the book Kitchen Secrets
Raymond’s love of delicious food is lifelong. Years of experience have given him a rich store of knowledge and the skill to create fantastic dishes that work time after time. With a range of achievable and inspirational recipes for cooks of all abilities - and useful tips throughout - this book brings Gallic passion and precision into the home kitchen.
