Mussels

Ingredienser

1kg mussels (we use St. Austell’s, which come from Cornwall or Shetland from Scotland)

1 shallot (sliced)

2 tbsp fennel seeds

3 star anise

2 bay leaves

1 crushed garlic clove

2 sprigs thyme

1 glug of olive oil

175ml white wine

150ml double cream

4g salt

juice of 1 lemon

50ml preserved lemon stock (from above recipe)

Instruktioner

Clean the mussels by running them under cold water for 5 minutes, removing any large bits of seaweed with your hands, and then draining them through a colander.

Over gentle heat, heat the olive oil and sweat the shallot, fennel seeds, star anise, garlic and thyme for several minutes until soft. Turn up the heat, add the white wine and bring to the boil. Drop the mussels into the pan and place a sealed lid on top; give the pan a quick shake and cook for 3-4 minutes. The mussels are cooked once opened fully.

Remove the lid and, using your hands, separate the mussels from their shells; you can discard the shells.

Pass the stock through a fine sieve into a saucepan, return the mussel flesh into the stock pan and cover with the cream, preserved lemon cooking liquid, lemon juice and salt.

Finely dice a handful of fermented/raw artichokes and 4 preserved lemon skins and add to the pan.

To serve, reheat the mussels in the broth until warmed through, checking the seasoning with salt and lemon juice. Add a few spoonfuls of chive oil to the pan ‘splitting’ the cream. Spoon the mussels into your bowl by pouring over the remaining stock and spooning over a little more chive oil.