Ingredients
1kg of Fresh Fowey or Porthilly Mussels
50g Fennel
50g Shallot
50g Carrots
50g Celery
1 Clove
1 Vanilla Pod
Handful of Coriander
1 Clove of garlic
300ml Clouded Yellow Ale, St Austell Brewery
100ml Rodda’s Clotted Cream
30g Trewithan Dairy Unsalted Butter
Fresh bread
Black Pepper
Method
A delicious and simple dish to prepare that uses Cornish Clouded Yellow ale instead of wine to create a unique flavour.
Method
- Finely dice the fennel, carrot, celery and shallot.
- Heat a little vegetable oil in a thick bottomed pan with a tight fitting lid. Gently fry the vegetables for 3 minutes on a low heat without allowing to colour.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.
- Stir in the mussels and coat with the vegetables.
- Turn the heat up high and add the St Austell Brewery Clouded Yellow Ale. Stir and put the lid on the pan. Steam for 3 minutes.
- Once the mussels have opened, spoon out into your serving bowl and place a piece of aluminium foil over the top to keep warm.
- Discard any unopened mussels.
- Put the liquor back onto the stove and add the cream. Reduce until the sauce this starting to thicken.
- Season with black pepper.
- Spoon the sauce over the mussels and garnish with freshly chopped coriander.
- Serve with Padstow’s own Chough Bakery bread and Trewithan Dairy butter.
As with most chefs, mussels are one of my favourite dishes to cook. We have some great mussels in the South West and these are supplied by some of the most passionate people I have ever met.
Mussels should be steamed quickly and eaten straight away, using beer instead of white wine gives these amazing molluscs a flavour that is unique and leaves you wanting more!