27 Oct steamed mussels

These quick steamed mussels make use of the seasonal crustacean, native to Ireland.

steamed mussels (serves 2)

Ingredients

Knob of butter

150g Bacon

1 Shallot, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely diced

150ml Apple cider

1kg Mussels (throw away any mussels that are open, cleaning the remaining mussels by removing any barnacles or beards. Yup. Mussels have beards.)

2 tbsp Creme fraiche

2 Spring onions, finely sliced

Method

1. Heat the butter in a heavy-based pot with a lid.
2. Fry the bacon for 5 minutes until starting to brown.
3. Add the shallot and and garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes.
4. Pour in the apple cider and simmer for 3 minutes.
5. Add the mussels and cover the pot with its lid. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally, until all the mussels have opened.
6. Remove the mussels from the pot into serving plates and discard any mussels that haven’t opened.
7. Add the crème fraiche to the pot mixing with the bacon, shallots and garlic, simmering until you have a nice thick sauce.
8. Pour the crème fraiche sauce over the mussels and serve with a sprinkling of finely sliced spring onions.

This recipe first appeared in Insider Magazine in The Irish Independent on October 16th