Margi Cintrano
Washing Up
These sweet small mussels, moules de bouchots of the northern Atlantic are incorporated in uncountable recipes however, Mouclade, a classic mussel stew recipe prepared with dry white wine, butter, shallots, whipping cream and cognac, is a lovely dish for this time of year ...
CLASSIC MUSSEL STEW WITH PINEAU DES CHARENTES ... ( MOUCLADE)
4 appetiser servings ... 2 cups dry French white wine
2 bay leaves
1 tblsp. chopped fresh thyme
a pinch of powdered saffron
a pinch of cayenne sweet or piquant
2 pounds of fresh mussels
3 tblsps butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 tblsp chopped garlic
2 tblsps all purpose flour
1/3 cups whipping cream
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tblsps. Cognac or Brandy or Pineau Des Charentes, a wine from Charentes, France ( it is made from Cognac and Grape Must thus, giving an extraordinaire flavor to the sauce )
1. combine the dry white wine, bay leaves, fresh thyme, saffron, cayenne in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat.
2. boil 3 mins.
3. Add the mussels and cover & cook until mussels open, about 4 mins.
4. remove from heat and using slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to serving bowl and discarding those that did not open
5. reserve the cooking liquid
6. melt butter in heavy sauce pan over medium heat, and add shallots and garlic and sauté 3 mins.
7. add the flour and stir 1 minute
8. whisk in reserved liquid and boil until reduced to 3/4 cups about 7 mins.
9. whisk in cream and parsley and reduce heat to 1 cup, three mins.
10. mix in the 2 tblsps of wine or cognac and season with salt and pepper freshly ground
11. drizzle sauce over mussels and serve with Lovely Chilled White Wine and oven warm bread ...
Have a lovely weekend,
Ciao,
Margaux Cintrano.
