La Mouclade - Rick Stein

"La Mouclade is one of Rick's classic recipes. The flour and crème fraîche thickens the sauce to make it a real winter warmer which is probably why it's one of our most popular dishes at the café's moules nights. I love the fact that the light curry powder and saffron give it a faintly curried flavour, completely different to your usual mussel dishes." Ross Geach, head chef of Rick Stein’s Café.

© Original recipe from Rick Stein's French Odyssey, courtesy of BBC Books, first published in 2005.

 Serves 4

Ingredients
Good pinch saffron strands

1.75 kg mussels, cleaned

120 ml dry white wine

25 g butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon good-quality medium curry powder

2 tablespoons cognac

2 teaspoons plain flour

200 ml crème fraîche

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

French bread, to serve

Method

Put the saffron into a small bowl and moisten it with 1 tablespoon of warm water.

Place the mussels and wine in a large pan, cover and cook over a high heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, until the mussels have opened. Tip them into a colander set over a bowl to catch all the cooking liquor. Transfer the mussels to a large serving bowl and keep warm.

Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion, garlic and curry powder and cook gently without browning for 2–3 minutes. Add the cognac and cook until it has almost all evaporated, then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the saffron liquid and all except the last tablespoon or two of the mussel cooking liquor (which might contain some grit). Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add the crème fraîche and simmer for a further 3 minutes, until slightly reduced. Season to taste, stir in the parsley and pour the sauce over the mussels. Serve with plenty of French bread.

( Last Updated: 03-10-2011 )