Moules Marinières : Mussels my Way

Moules Marinières is a traditional dish from Belgium and Northern France. In Belgium moules-frites is a popular dish served in most restaurants. We had moules-frites for the first time in Brussels (Belgium) years ago while on vacation. The mussels were served in a huge bowl with the French fries on the side and fresh baguette. It was a real treat. I ate almost half a baguette by dipping in the sauce.
(Note : moules is the french word for mussels, frites for french fries.)

Needless to say when we were back home, we had to try and perfect the recipe. It proved that there was not much to perfect, the recipe is so simple !
I must confess, I never made it. My husband tried it the first time, and it came out so good that we figured it best if he kept doing it.
When we want to spoil ourselves without spending a lot of time in the kitchen we plan a moules-frites supper. He takes care of the mussels and I make the french fries and a salad. We cut the potatoes in thick fries (half an inch) then deep fry them until golden brown and slightly puffed. Oh I almost forgot the french baguette of course. It is the greatest gourmet "fast" food that you can make.

This recipe is slightly different from the traditional one since white wine is replaced with a mix of port and rum, and coconut cream is used to give even more structure to the sauce.

Get ready to make your own moules marinières and enjoy.

Ingredients
2 Lbs mussels
2 Tbsp butter
1 big onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
1/4 cup port
1/4 cup rum
2 Tbsp. coconut cream
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Wash the mussels thoroughly in the sink or in a large bowl full of cold water. Scrape any seaweed or limestone stuck to the shell with a knife. Remove any beards by pulling on them. We discard any mussel that does not close when tapped against the sink because it means that it is dead. Let them sit in water for few minutes to allow the dirt to fall to the bottom, then scoop them into a bowl. Rinse again until the water comes up clear (no more sand.)Your mussels are ready to be cooked.

1. In a large pot or sauce pan, sauté the onion with the butter on medium high heat until soft but not brown, around 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
2. Add the mussels, port, rum, coconut cream and half the parsley.
3. Cook over high heat about 4-5 minutes, stirring the mussels gently, until they are open.
4. Discard any unopened mussels.
5. Sprinkle the remaining parsley and serve immediately.

Notes:

1. If you don’t want to eat a lot of bread, try to use half of a mussel to spoon the sauce.
2. You may use 35% cream instead of coconut cream.
3. You may also replace the port and rum with 1/2 cup of white wine.