Rick Stein’s la mouclade

Name: Rick Stein’s la mouclade
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: French recipes
Ingredients: Small pinch saffron strands; 1.75kg mussels, cleaned and de-bearded (discard any open mussels that don’t close when firmly tapped); 120ml dry white wine; 25g butter; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; ½ tsp good-quality medium curry powder; 2 tbsp cognac; 2 tsp plain flour; 200ml crème fraîche; 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley; Crusty French bread to serve

Portion size: Serves 4
Hands-on time 30 min
Difficulty: easy

Recipe by: Rick Stein

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Rick Stein’s mussels dish, a famous recipe from La Rochelle on the west coast of France, combines the seafood with a creamy curry sauce.

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Ingredients

Small pinch saffron strands
1.75kg mussels, cleaned and de-bearded (discard any open mussels that don’t close when firmly tapped)
120ml dry white wine
25g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp good-quality medium curry powder
2 tbsp cognac
2 tsp plain flour
200ml crème fraîche
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Crusty French bread to serve

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Method

Put the saffron in a small bowl and wet it with 1 tbsp warm water. Put the mussels and wine in a large pan, cover and cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, until the mussels have opened.
Tip the mussels into a colander set over a bowl to catch all the cooking liquid (discard any that remain closed). Transfer the mussels to a large serving bowl and keep warm.
Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion, garlic and curry powder, then cook gently without browning for 2-3 minutes. Add the cognac and cook until it has almost all evaporated, then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the saffron liquid and all except the last 1-2 tbsp of the reserved mussel cooking liquid (which may contain some grit or sand).
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Bring the sauce to a simmer, then cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the crème fraîche and simmer for a further 3 minutes or until slightly reduced. Taste and season, stir in the parsley, then pour the sauce over the mussels. Serve with plenty of crusty French bread.