Not our first mouclade, as we’ve made many variations over the years, but we particularly liked this one by Diana Henry as the saffron gives the sauce a fantastic colour. A very popular summer lunch dish. You will need some bread for mopping up the sauce.
Wine Suggestion: we went Spanish today and paired this with a wine made predominantly of Treixadura but with small amounts of Godello, Albariño and Loureiro too. Made by Pazo Casanova in the DO Ribeiro which is on the Spanish section of the Minho River this is fresh and citrussy with hints of white flowers and stone fruit on the nose and a mid-weight, textured finish. While we don’t drink much Treixadura we were tempted by the addition of the other grapes which we knew would work with the dish and we can now add this rarer, indigenous Spanish variety to our repetoire of seafood loving wines.
Mouclade – serves 4
- a good pinch of saffron threads
- 2kg mussels
- 30g unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ¾ tsp medium curry powder
- 4 tbsp brandy
- 2 tsp plain flour
- 200ml dry white wine
- 200ml double cream
- generous handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Put the saffron in a cup with 5 tbsp of boiling water, then leave aside for 30 minutes.
Wash the mussels, remove any beards and crusty bits and throw away open mussels that don’t closed when given a sharp tap on the side of the sink.
Melt the butter in a pan and gently sauté the onion until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and curry powder and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the brandy and boil until reduced to a couple of tablespoons. Reduce the heat, then stir in the flour and mix well until smooth. Cook for a minute, then take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in the saffron water. Set aside.
Put the wine and mussels into a large sauce and cover. Bring the boil and cook over a med-high heat for about 4 minutes, shaking now and then, until the mussels have opened. Strain the mussels in a colander, over a bowl to collect the cooking liquid. Cover the mussels to keep warm while you finish the sauce.
Strain the mussel cooking liquid through a J-cloth, then gently reheat the saffron sauce. Gradually stir in the mussel liquid, then bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes. Add the cream and simmer for 4 minutes or until reduced and a little thicker. Season to taste and stir through the parsley.
Put the mussels into a large serving bowl, pour over the sauce and serve.
(Original recipe from How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2018.)
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