Baked Mussels Provençale

Name: Baked Mussels Provençale
Yield: Serves Six
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot or onion; 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley; 150 g/5 oz butter, softened; 25 g/1 oz dried breadcrumbs (preferably baked brown); 25 g/1 oz dried breadcrumbs (preferably baked brown); 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot or onion; 25 g/1 oz Gruyère cheese, finely grated; 1 bay leaf; 150 ml/¼ pint water; 1.75 kb/4 lb or 2 litres/4 pints fresh live mussels; 1 onion, roughly chopped

Preparation info

Serves
Six

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Cooking for Friends

By Prue Leith

Published 1978

About

Ingredients

1.75 kb/4 lb or 2 litres/4 pints fresh live mussels

Europe
France
Provence
Starter
Fish course
Pescatarian

Method

Soak the mussels in fresh water to remove any sand, then scrub them well, throwing away any cracked ones or ones which will not shut when tapped on the sink. Remove their ‘beards’ and put the mussels into a large saucepan with the chopped onion, bay leaf and water. Cover with the lid and cook over a moderate heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels have opened - 3 minutes is us