Belgian Cooked Mussels

You called me?!?

Below is a rustic English sea farers dish of long standing in some quality or other, amongst me:

"Moulles a-la moi"

Get mussels. Be sure they are good and fresh ones. Soak in an amount of cold salted water for some amount of time, hopefully they will spit out some stuff you don't want them not to.

Check for mussels that are open and do not close when scared senseless by your fast flicking finger - discard any that treated like this remain open because a mussel that knows no fear is a dangerous mussel, wash the rest well and shave any beards using your preferred 'shaving system' - some prefer Gillette over Wilkinson Sword - YMMV.

To a big pot with some butter and chopped onion in it, add heat (no more, no less - this is *critical* to the success of this dish), cook until onion is almost translucent then add crushed garlic, celery diced, grated carrot(s), sliced fennel bulb and green feathery parts, stir until they start to soften, add mussels, shake them around and cover with some green wine (hey - ask the Portuguese). Put the lid on the pot and cook until all the mussels have opened (around some amount of mins, max). Take the pot off the stove and strain the contents carefully through a fine sieve, pick out the mussels and place somewhere to keep warm but not to cook any further because they are now done to perfection, or you would not have removed the pot from the stove, *would you huh?!?*. Put the finely strained liquid into a sauce pan and reduce with a small amount of bay leaf, adding cream, and more butter if desired, to a consistency you are utterly *delighted* with, good grinding fresh black pepper, pinch or so of cayenne added, *just* before it is done and at this time if it be to your tastes, add also a few or more well ripped fresh basil leaves.

In a colander wash the vegetables that were cooked with the mussels under hot running water if they appear to have any undesirable bits of oceanic mineral and-or animal detritus on them or 'just in case' - as you will it, then put the into the sauce pan and shake the pan around. Serve mussels in sweet and rustic little BIG bowls covered in reduced sauce and veggies, with well buttered, good and fresh crusty bread - !cello! - there you have it.

NOTE: - all weights-measures given are approximations only - adjust precisely according to your tastes and those of any guests you may be serving this wonderful stuff to also as well.

Shaun aRe

P.s. (Shaun aRe cannot vouch for the authenticity of this unique personal recipe.)