One of my favourites. Lovely Mussels recipe with white wine and cream. Simple to cook and gorgeous with garlic bread for a starter or a main course. Classic French cuisine.
Rinse the mussels in cold running water, and then give them a good scrub and scrape to remove any barnacles or dirt. Discard any with broken shells, and give any open ones a sharp tap: if they don't close, then throw them away too, because they're dead.
Pull out the "beards" – the small hairs the mussels use to attach themselves to ropes or rocks, by pulling them sharply towards the hinge end of the mussel. Once fully clean, leave i cold water until you are ready to use them.
Chop the shallots and fry until softened
Put the shallots, thyme leaves, bay leaf and wine into a large pan, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down, and cook gently for 10 minutes, then turn up the heat to medium-high.
Drain the mussels of the cold water and put them into the pan. Cover and cook until most of them have opened: about 3-4 minutes.
Add the cream and put the lid back on for 30 seconds to allow it to melt. Add the parsley and shake the pan well to distribute, then season gently and serve immediately
Any mussels which remain closed after cooking should be thrown away..