Mussels Luxembourg Style - Moulen |
|
 |
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Minutes |
Ready In: 20 Minutes Servings: 4 |
|
Mussels are a very popular dish in Luxembourg. From October until February (the months with an R ) there is hardly a restaurant whose menu does not have the obligatory Moules Marinières or Moules à la Luxembourgeoise . In every case mussels are served with pommes frites. NB: Mussels as well as pommes frites are best eaten with the fingers. Do not forget to place an empty bowl on the table for the discarded shells. Experienced mussel-eaters slide the empty shells into one another. This takes up less space, and no one can tell that he alone has eaten two or three kilos! Ingredients:
3 -4 kg mussels, cleaned |
2 leeks |
1 carrot |
1 onion |
1 -2 shallot |
1 stalk celery & leaves |
1 bunch fresh parsley |
5 garlic cloves |
1 1/2 cups riesling wine |
5 ounces butter |
salt & pepper |
1 sprig fresh thyme |
2 sprigs fresh tarragon |
Directions:
1. Clean all the vegetables, except the garlic, and chop them very finely. Allow the butter to reach room temperature so that it is soft.
2. Lightly fry the onion and shallots in 2 ounces of butter in a large pot, and add all the chopped vegetables and the thyme and tarragon, also finely chopped.
3. Pour 1/4 of Riesling, and allow to simmer for a quarter of an hour.
4. During this time, crush the garlic, and mix with the remaining butter. To this add a little freshly milled pepper.
5. Put the pot on a very high heat, and drop the mussels into the boiling contents, pouring in the rest of the wine.
6. Cover firmly. Every two minutes stir with a circular movement to make sure the mussels do not remain at the bottom of the pot.
7. After ten minutes almost all the mussels should have opened.
8. Now put the garlic butter in the pot. In two or three minutes, with regular stirring, the sauce should have mixed thoroughly.
9. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
10. Crisp pommes frites should be served with mussels, and an outstanding Riesling.
11. Luxembourg's Belgian neighbours often drink a cold beer with their mussels.
|
|