I’m forever experimenting with ways to ring the changes with moules mariniere and this is the latest. Inspiration was needed because this particular net of mussels weighed 800g rather than the usual 1 kilo and had a high proportion had broken shells. Why not, I thought, add the other half of a big jar of cooked white beans to bolster the dish (see previous recipe). So, instead of the basic onion, garlic and white wine, this version also has cooked white beans, a hint of passata and dill. It was a triumph, do try it. You will a discard bowl and crusty bread and butter for dunking.
Serves 2
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 20 min
1 kg net of mussels
1 onion
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp olive oil
200ml white wine
400g cooked white haricot beans
2 tbsp passata
Scrub the mussels, pull out the ‘beards’ and wash in several changes of water until the water runs clear. Discard any cracked shells. Halve, peel and finely chop the onion and garlic and soften in olive oil in a spacious, lidded pan placed over a medium-low heat. Add the wine, let it bubble up for a couple of minutes then stir in the beans and passata. Increase the heat, add the mussels, cover and cook, shaking the pan a few times, for about 5 minutes until all the mussels have opened. Add half the chopped dill, tip into a serving bowl, add remaining dill and serve.