White Wine & Garlic Steamed Mussels
Donal's Notes
Mussels have a reputation for being difficult to cook, but that is just not true. In reality, the hardest part is washing them. Place in cold water (they should close; if any don’t, you should throw those away). Scrub any dirt off the surface of the mussels and remove the beard with a small knife. If you can get this down, you will have no further trouble, and they take just minutes to cook, so they’re the perfect little starter. I love to serve the cooking pot straight from the stove to the table, clunking large spoonfuls of steaming mussels onto my guests’ plates.Â
Large pot
Large casserole with lid
Chopping board
Chopping knife
Slotted spoon
Tongs
Wooden spoon
Colander
Instructions
1
Do a little prep first. Peel and finely chop the onion and peel and grate the garlic. Set aside.
2
Next, wash the mussels. Immediately discard any mussels that stay open when being washed. You can check by gently tapping them on a hard surface and if they close again, they’re still good to eat.
3
Place a large cooking pot over a high heat and brown the pancetta pieces until just golden and sizzling.
4
Add in the knob of butter, allow it to melt, then add the onion and garlic. Cook gently for 3 minutes until the onion is soft.
5
Meanwhile, get the pasta cooking in a pot of salted, boiling water until al dente.
6
Pour the wine over the pancetta and onion and let it bubble away for a few minutes so that all the flavours mingle together and reduce by half.
7
Tumble in the mussels, cover with a lid and allow to steam for about 4 minutes or until the mussels open (discard any that remain closed). Make sure to give the pot a good shake once or twice during the cooking time. Turn off the heat and remove the mussels from the pot with a slotted spoon.
8
Keep a bowlful of mussels aside and take the meat out of the remaining mussels.
9
Return the pan to the heat and add the cream, pasta, parsley and de-shelled mussels. Toss for 1 minute to allow the sauce to coat the pasta well. Add the mussels in shells on top.
10
Serve immediately.
