Cider-Steamed Mussels

Name: Cider-Steamed Mussels
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 celery stalk, trimmed and finely sliced; ¼ pt / 140 ml dry cider; 2 shallots or 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped; 2 shallots or 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped; freshly ground white pepper; 1 oz / 30 g butter; 2 tbsp fine, soft, white breadcrumbs; 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley; 4 lb / 1.80 kg mussels

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Times Cookbook

By Frances Bissell

Published 1995

About

The classic moules marinière is made with dry white wine. Cider is a good alternative.

Ingredients

4 lb / 1.80 kg mussels
2 shallots or 1

Starter
Fish course
Side dish
Pescatarian

Method

Scrub the mussels under cold running water, discarding any that remain open. Tug off the ‘beards’ wedged in the straight sides of the shells, and knock off any barnacles with the back of a knife. (It is worth doing this, otherwise the barnacles may get dislodged during cooking and release sand into the pan.) Rinse the mussels again very thoroughly, drain them, and put into a large saucepan with