Ingredients:
Recipe:
Preparation
To prepare mussels, submerge them in cold clean water, before using a stiff scrubbing brush to clean each mussel of any seaweed or sand. This step can usually be omitted with farmed mussels as they are grown on ropes in deeper water and are therefore less likely to ingest sand.
To remove a mussel’s beard (the weedy tangle mussels use to tether themselves to those ropes) simply take hold of the beard and give it a firm tug across the length of the shell. It should come away relatively easily, although this job can require some perseverance. (I recommend a glass of wine while you're doing your prep!) Discard any mussels that don’t close when tapped sharply on the shell, as they are no longer alive. Store the cleaned mussels in a large bowl in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
Method
Use a large ovenproof casserole with a lid for this recipe, as it makes steaming the mussels in the sauce an easier task. Place the casserole dish over a medium heat and sauté the chopped leek in the butter until soft. Increase the heat, add the grated parsnip and cook to al dente. Strip the thyme leaves from the woody stalks and add to the dish. Simmer the mixture for another minute then deglaze the dish with the white wine.
Reduce by half and then add the cream, chicken stock and the crushed garlic. Scatter in the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Season to taste, going easy on the salt. Once the sauce has thickened, you can add in the mussels, as their liquid will loosen up the sauce again. Turn the heat to medium and place all the mussels into the sauce.
Cover the dish with its lid and steam for about 6-8 minutes, or until all the mussels have opened – being sure to discard any that haven’t. If they’re very fresh and have opened a crack, simply work the shell wider with the tip of a butter knife. Stir the mussels through the sauce and divide between four warmed bowls. Serve immediately with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top and fresh crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
