Moules marinières

There are many ways to cook fresh mussels, but this is a time-honored classic.  If you are feeling brave, play with the herbs or add dry cider instead of wine.  Either way, allow for 500g mussels per person, and make sure they are fresh.  Adapted from The Guardian.

Ingredients

1 kg mussels (serves 2)
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 -3 sprigs thyme (or lemon thyme), leaves picked
1 bay leaf
1 c dry white wine
50 g butter
Small handful parsley, chopped
1/2 c double cream (optional)

Instructions

1) Rinse the mussels in cold running water, and then give them a good scrub and scrape to remove any barnacles or dirt.  If not using immediately, let sit in cold water until ready to use.
2) Discard any with broken shells, and give open ones a sharp tap - if they don't close, throw them away
3) Bring a large pot to medium heat, and cook shallots with butter for 5 minutes, until they loose some of their crunch.
4) Add thyme leaves, bay leaf and wine into a large pan, and cook for about 5 minutes, until alcohol has evaporated off.
5) Drain the mussels and tip into the pan - cover and cook until most of them have opened, about 3 minutes.
6) Remove pan from heat, add double cream and parsley, and stir - put lid back on to keep in heat.
7) Serve immediately, discarding any mussels which remain closed.