Mussels in Champagne Sauce

Moules-frites (mussels and French fries) is something of a national dish in Belgium. I come from the Champagne region, which is quite close to Belgium, and in my family, people tend to eat mussels all year round, as they are widely available, versatile and cheap. They are a good source of vitamins, folic acid, minerals, iron, and fatty acids that can improve immunity, brain function and reduce medical conditions like arthritis.

They are convenient to prepare at home and unlike some other types of seafood, they do not make your house smell like a fishmonger’s for days afterwards. They are also a staple dish in Brasseries, the closest thing we have to Pubs in France.

This traditional recipe with a twist is my mum’s, and it was a real success when we had it last week for my birthday. It smells heavenly, feels like a dish for a special occasion yet it is simple to make and ready to bring to the table in less than thirty minutes, from start to finish. I do not eat mussels, but I really enjoyed cooking them for my family with my mum. I also dipped loads of bread in the sauce and it was yummy!

Crevette even declared, in an approximate, but oh so sweet French, « Je l’aime, les moules! » (“I love them, the mussels!”). Bless him, he is more French than I am, requesting French delicacies and eating snails or mussels at every opportunity he gets.

With no further ado, here are my ‘Moules façon Michèle’!

4 from 2 votes

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Mussels in Champagne Sauce

Makes a starter for 6, or a main course for 4.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 kg mussels
• 10 g butter
• 1 small onion peeled and sliced
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 pinch salt 1 pinch pepper
• 100 ml water
• 200 ml champagne
• 200 ml crème fraîche

Instructions

1. Rinse the mussels in plenty of cold water.
2. In a large pan over a high heat, melt the butter then add the onion and fry for a minute, stirring.
3. Add in the garlic, vinegar, herbs, salt, pepper and water. Bring to the boil and reduce to a gentle simmer.
4. Add the champagne then the mussels. Stir and cover for 10 minutes.
5. Mix well, put the lid back on and cook for a further 5 minutes.
6. Check the mussels have opened.
7. Add in the cream, mix and bring the pan to the table, and let your guests help themselves with a large ladle.
8. Enjoy with champagne as a starter. If you are having the mussels as a main course, simply serve with chips.

When Seafish asked me to take part in a challenge for foodie bloggers to promote eating fish through their Fish of the Dish platform, I agreed immediately as I thought it would make me more creative in my recipes. Although I love fish, we do not eat it more than a couple of times a month at home, and I always go for the recipes I know by heart and trust. I am glad to share this recipe my mum passed on to me.

Santé!

Seafish challenged me to write recipes that would encourage people to eat more fish. I did not receive payment for this post. All opinions and photographs are my own.