Recipes

Moules Mariniere is a classic French dish. However this new twist on the recipe uses some great British ingredients and is accompanied by a classic and delicious Irish soda bread. Both these recipes are taught on the Quick and Easy Evening classes at Leiths School of Food and Wine.

If you can’t get hold of buttermilk for the soda bread, use ordinary milk and add 1 tsp cream of tartar with the flour.

Serves 4

For the Soda Bread

    225g wholemeal flour
    225g plain white flour
    1½ tsp salt
    2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
    1 tbsp sugar
    45g butter
    290-425ml buttermilk

For the Mussels

    2kg or 2 litres mussels
    50g butter
    1 large leek, finely chopped and carefully washed
    2 garlic cloves, chopped
    300ml dry cider
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    2 tbsp double cream (optional)

Method

Make the soda bread. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Sift the dry ingredients into a warmed large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter and mix to a soft dough with the milk. Place the dough on a floured baking sheet and shape with a minimum of kneading into a large circle about 5cm thick. Dust lightly with flour. With the handle of a wooden spoon, make a cross on the top of the loaf. The dent should be 2cm deep. Bake in the oven on a greased baking sheet for 35-40 minutes, then allow to cool on a wire rack.

To cook the mussels, first clean the mussels by scrubbing them well under a running tap. Pull away the ‘beards’ (seaweed-like threads). Throw away any mussels that are cracked or that remain open when tapped. They may take some time to respond if they have been kept in the fridge, so place to one side and check again when you have prepared the others before discarding.

Melt a third of the butter in a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Add the leek and sweat until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cider, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the mussels then put on the lid and leave to steam over a low heat until the shells are open, shaking the pan occasionally – they should take about 5-10 minutes. Tip the mussels into a colander set over a bowl to catch the juices.

Throw away any mussels that have not opened. Pour the mussel liquid from the bowl into a saucepan, being careful to leave any grit or sand at the bottom. Boil and reduce well, then lower the heat and whisk in the remaining butter and season. If you like, you can add a little cream at the end.

Transfer the mussels to a warmed soup tureen or wide soup bowls and pour over the sauce. Serve with the soda bread to mop up the delicious sauce.