INGREDIENTS: 57g butter; 1 finely chopped onion; 1 clove chopped garlic; 140ml dry white wine; 900g of mussels; 3 tblsps double cream; salt and freshly milled black pepper; chopped parsley.
METHOD: Melt the butter in a large saucepan and gentl
y fry the onion and garlic until soft. Pour in the white wine, and when it comes to the boil, put in the mussels. Cover with a lid and simmer for four or five minutes, occasionally shaking the pan.
Remove the mussels from the pan and keep warm. Boil the liquid to reduce by half before adding the cream, salt and pepper and parsley.
Pour the sauce over the mussels and serve with crusty bread and a good dry white wine.
MEDITERRANEAN MUSSELS Serves four as a main course INGREDIENTS: Olive oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (450g); 1 glass of white wine; 1 tablespoon paprika; oregano; black pepper; 2 bay leaves; 2kg mussels; crusty bread.
METHOD: Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onions and garlic and fry gently for about ten minutes until they are soft.
Add all the other ingredients except the mussels and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about ten minutes. Add the mussels to the pan and cover and simmer for about five minutes until the shells open. Serve in large bowls with fresh crusty bread.
GRILLED GARLIC OYSTERS Serves two INGREDIENTS: A dozen oysters, garlic butter, 110g breadcrumbs.
For the garlic butter (makes more than you need, but it is always handy to have spare in the fridge or freezer): 225g unsalted butter, softened; 6 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 tablespoon finely chopped spring onion; the juice of one lemon.
METHOD: To make the garlic butter, mix all the ingredients with a fork. Form into a sausage shape and slice when needed. It can then be wrapped in cling-film and stored in the fridge or freezer.
Shuck (open) the oysters by running a knife along the inside of the top shell, cutting the muscle that attaches the oyster to the shell.
Then slide the knife under the oyster meat to loosen it in the shell. Pour off excess water and place a little garlic butter on top. Cover with breadcrumbs and put under a hot grill until the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy.
• Keith Broomfield is a member of the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group www.scottishshellfish.co.uk
