Classic Moules Marinières with Aioli & Croutons
Bring the French Riviera to African soil with this classic dish of mussels steamed in white wine, garlic and a dash of cream, best served straight from the cooking pot with fresh or toasted bread and lashings of aioli. We sourced these live mussels, sustainably harvested in Saldanha Bay, from The Mussel Monger .
Radford Dale's The Renaissance Chenin Blanc is all about subtlety and finesse. It is driven by its citrus fruit spectrum and has a wonderful refreshing saltiness, making it a great partner for this seafood classic.
Ingredients: (serves 5-6 as a starter)
2 kg fresh black mussels (The Mussel Monger)
30 ml olive oil
30 ml butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2-3 leeks, finely sliced (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup fresh cream (or more, if desired)
a handful Italian parsley, chopped
For the aioli:
1 XL egg
15 ml lemon juice
15 ml Dijon mustard
a pinch of salt
1 small clove garlic, sliced/crushed
½ cup vegetable oil (canola or sunflower)
To serve: fresh bread, or sliced rounds of French loaf (croutons), buttered and toasted
Method:
For the aioli: In a tall glass or jar that can fit a stick blender right at the bottom, add the egg, lemon juice, mustard, salt and garlic. Pour the oil on top and give it a minute to settle to the top. Put the stick blender in the jar right at the bottom, then start to blend on high speed, tilting the jar now and then to incorporate all the oil. The mixture should thicken and be a creamy mayonnaise within a minute. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the mussels: Rinse the mussels briefly under running tap water using a colander (do not submerge, as this might get rid of the fresh sea water in the shells). Remove the beards and scrape any small barnacles from the shells.
In a large wide pot, heat the oil and butter and fry the shallot, leeks, garlic and bay leaf until the shallots and leeks are soft and fragrant. Add the wine and bring to a simmer, then add the mussels all at once and cover with a lid. Cook for 6-8 minutes, shaking the pan now and then. Add the cream and parsley and stir through. Remove from the heat, then serve warm in bowls with bread/croutons and aioli (the aioli can also be mixed into the broth).
Top Tip from the Mussel Monger: if mussels don’t open during cooking, they are perfectly fine to eat, it’s a myth! There is a small white tendon which holds the two shells together. During cooking, this tendon pulls tight (like in a steak) and snaps off one of the two shells, releasing the “muscle” and opening the mussel. If it doesn't pull away, the shell clamps closed. Simply use a knife, run it into the split between the two shells and slice the tendon (DO NOT TWIST IT OPEN, or else you crack the shell)
