Name: Mussel, Leek and Tomato Casserole, with Spinach and a Warm Poached Egg
Yield: Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 kg (2¼ lb) fresh live mussels, bearded, washed and scrubbed; 300 ml (½ pint) white wine; 300 ml (½ pint) Fish Stock or water; Salt and pepper; 4 poached eggs; 3 tomatoes, blanched and peeled; 1 leek, cut into 1 cm (½ in) dice; 300 ml (½ pint) double cream; Lemon juice; 1 large egg yolk; 2 tablespoons crème fraîche; 175–225 g (6–8 oz) Buttered Spinach; 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation info

Serves
4
as a starter

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

New British Classics

By Gary Rhodes

Published 1999

About

Mussels have been eaten since prehistoric times in Britain, and a number of recipes for them exist from the fourteenth century onwards. In the very early days, they used to be baked on hot stones beside the sea, and a little butter was inserted as the shells opened. They were also cooked in pies, boiled and served with parsley, or packed into rolls or baked potatoes in Ireland.

This is quite a simple dish, with the mussel cooking liquor becoming the base to the sauce. Once everythin