Name: Moules au Pastis (Mussels Cooked in Pastis)
Yield: 4
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 3-4 tbsp/45-60 ml crème fraîche or double/heavy cream; 5 fl oz/150 ml pastis; 2 shallots or 1 small onion, finely chopped; 3 tinned (or very good fresh) tomatoes, crushed or; 10 fl oz/300 ml dry white wine; 6 tbsp/90 ml olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tsp/5 ml coriander seeds; salt & pepper; 4 pint (4 lb)/2 kg mussels, beards removed & cleaned of seaweed; handful fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

A Table in Provence

By Leslie Forbes

Published 1987

About

This recipe is also good for tellines, but be sure to soak them overnight in fresh cold water to get rid of sand.

Ingredients

4 pint (4 lb)/2 kg mussels, beards removed & cleaned of seaweed

Method

Soak mussels for 20 mins in a couple of changes of fresh cold water & discard any with damaged shells or that are much heavier than others. Bring shallots, garlic, wine, pastis, coriander, tomatoes (if you are not using cream) & olive oil to a full boil. When reduced by ½, throw in mussels & parsley, cover tightly & shake pan for 5-10 mins over a high flame until most mussels ha