Steamed Mussels with Ham, Shallots, and Garlic

Name: Steamed Mussels with Ham, Shallots, and Garlic (Moules Paysanne)
Yield: Serves 2 to 3 as a First Course
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon finely minced fresh garlic; 2 pounds fresh mussels, debearded and soaked if necessary (see page 102); 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1½ teaspoons minced shallots; 1 ounce jambon de Bayonne, prosciutto, or Serrano ham, cut into thin matchsticks; ¼ cup dry white wine; Freshly ground pepper; 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh white bread crumbs; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Moules Paysanne

Preparation info

Serves
2 to 3
as a First Course

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Cooking of South West France

By Paula Wolfert

Published 1987

About

This is a very simple and quickly made dish. I first tasted this dish in the city of Pau, the capital of the Béarn. What impressed me most, I think, is how well mussels and ham go together, despite the fact that both are rather salty. The soft fresh white bread crumbs seemed to swallow up the excess salt and kept the dish light.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ounce jambon de Bayonne, prosciutto, or Serrano ham, cut into thin matchsticks

Europe
France
Starter

Method

Preheat the oven to 250°F. In a large nonreactive skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderately low heat. Add the ham and shallots and