Mussels aka moules marinière

Mussels are in season ANY month as long as it has an 'R' in the name (September to March). My dad always let us try his fish dinners when we were younger, it felt like a real treat to be eating what he was and I have grown up adoring mussels. This recipe is prefect with crusty bread and a large glass of white wine, so simple and it will definitely impress friends and family!

How to prepare mussels:

• Make sure they are fresh and eat them on the day you buy them.
• Throw away and mussels which are broken and ones which do not close if tapped or lightly squeezed.
• Do not soak the mussels in water as they will drown, give them a few rises instead to get rid of any dirt or grit.
• Clean the mussels under running water - take a knife and remove any barnacles from the outside shell, also pull out the 'beard' which is the fibres which emerge from the mussels shell (you can pull this out or cut it off with a knife).
• You can store them in a bowl under a damp cloth in the fridge until they are needed.

Ingredients:

Serves 4 people

• 1 bag or mussels or 1.75 kg
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 stalks of celery chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 100mls white wine
• 120mls double cream
• Chopped parsley to serve

Method:

1. Fry the onion and the celery in a large pan for 5-10 minutes until softened, add in the garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes .
2. Add in the wine and the mussels, give it a stir and leave the lid on for 4-5 minutes until the mussels have opened.
3. Add in the cream and scatter the parsley.

Serve in big bowls with chips or crusty bread to mop up the juices with!