ENTERTAINING – Mother’s day mussels

The recipe serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a starter.

You need

• 50ml butter
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped celery stick
• 4 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 500ml white wine
• 3 – 5 bay leaves
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1kg mussels scrubbed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 120ml fresh cream
• 50ml fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and cook the onion, celery and garlic until the onion has browned.
2. Add the wine, bay leaves and thyme and bring to the boil. Add the mussels and cover tightly. Simmer over low heat for about 3 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. Discard any mussels that do not open.
3. Lift the mussels out of the pan and set aside, keeping them warm until needed.
4. Strain the liquid into a clean pot, season and bring to the boil. Add the cream and reheat the sauce without boiling.
5. Put the mussels into a big bowl, pour the sauce over and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with crusty ciabatta or French loaf. You could even serve them with French fries.

And afterwards?

1. If you have time, make your mom’s favourite dessert and get the kids involved too.
2. Serve a generous piece of Brie or Camembert with crackers and fresh seedless grapes and then bring out a platter of chocolate brownies or macaroons to have with coffee or tea.
3. Make up a dessert board filled with sweet treats everyone loves. Think nougat, marshmallows. Smarties, chocolate balls and so on. You’ll find loads of ideas on Pinterest.