Porthilly mussels with leeks, cider and clotted cream
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Mussels, leeks and cider is a tried-and-tested combination of flavours that always makes the sun shine just that little bit brighter. Here, the sauce is given a Cornish kick of richness thanks to a little clotted cream. Serve with plenty of crusty bread.
This recipe is taken from Sea and Shore: Recipes and Stories From a Kitchen in Cornwall by Emily Scott (£26, Hardie Grant). Photography by Kim Lightbody.
Ingredients
- 1kg live mussels , ideally Porthilly mussels
- 50g of unsalted butter
- 1 shallot , finely chopped
- 1 medium leek , washed and finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves , finely sliced
- 300ml of cider
- 4 tbsp of clotted cream, Cornish
- 3 tbsp of chopped flat-leaf parsley
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Method
1
Wash the mussels under cold running water and pull off and
discard any wispy ‘beards’ from the shells. Before cooking, you
need to make sure all the mussels are alive, so discard any that
have broken or cracked shells and any open ones that don’t close
when tapped on a hard surface
2
Melt the butter in a very large pan with a lid over a medium heat,
add the shallot, leek and garlic and cook for 5 minutes
3
Pour in the
cider, bring to the boil, then add the mussels. Cover and cook for
5–7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels
have opened. Discard any that are still closed after cooking
4
Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon and divide among
6 warmed deep bowls
5
Return the pan to the heat, bring the
cooking liquid to the boil and bubble for 2–3 minutes to reduce.
Stir in the cream and parsley, then season the sauce and pour
over the mussels
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Porthilly mussels with leeks, cider and clotted cream
