Why do I feel drawn to talk about Jean Claude Van Damme? Anyway, resisting the urge to mention tae kwon do expert C-listers (although I have to admit I did quite enjoy “Universal Soldier”), let’s talk about shellfish.
I love mussels. I enjoy the whole ceremony of eating them, including those delicious decisions such as; do I pick them up with my fingers? Do I use one of the shells as a clever mussel-eating implement? Or do I try and avoid fishy fingers by using adeptly wielded cutlery? My advice, whether at home or in a restaurant is just dive in and enjoy. The Belgians and the French seem to know exactly how to cook them to perfection and so this is my version of the Mussels from Brussels.
This is one of the simplest dishes ever, all you need is:
- A bag of fresh mussels from your local fishmonger if you are lucky enough to have one or from the fish counter in your supermarket
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 30g butter
- 2 cloves of crushed garlic
- 1 or 2 celery stalks, finely chopped (optional)
- sprig of fresh thyme, a handful of chopped fresh parsley and a bay leaf.
- You will also need 200ml of dry white wine or you can use cider as a really nice alternative.
- Finally you can also add 120ml of cream at the end although then strictly speaking that turns the dish in to Moules a la Crème, rather than Marinière.
Method: First of all scrub your mussels and remove any “beards”, they are the funny stringy things shown in the photo on the left. 
Throw out any that are already open and do not close immediately when you tap the shell or have damaged shells. Wash them with cold water and place in a bowl until you are ready to use them. ,
Place the butter into a saucepan that has a lid and put over a low heat on the hob. As the butter begins to melt, add the onions, celery (if you are using it) and the garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the onions become soft and translucent. Do not allow the butter or the onions to start going brown. Add the thyme and the bay leaf and the white 
wine. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the mussels and shake the pan to cover them with the lovely liquid. Place the lid on the saucepan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan to distribute the mussels evenly and remove from the heat when they are mostly all open. Remove any that are still closed shut and throw away. Add the chopped parsley and the cream if you want a richer tasting dish. Serve with some crusty white bread or of course a large bowl of frites and a glass of white wine. Enjoy!
The Bombay Boys 