Serves 3 - 4
Ingredients
- 1kg fresh live mussels
- 100g smoked bacon lardons, or rashers sliced
- 2 large shallots, finely chopped
- 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 150g pearled barley, soaked for 1 hour in cold water
- 1 glass medium dry white wine
- 500ml fish stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 bunch parsley, leaves picked and stalks reserved
- 25g butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 to 4 tbsp cream
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat a large saucepan with a lid over a medium high heat. Add the fish stock, bay leaves and parsley stalks. When the stock comes to the boil, tip in all but a large handful of the mussels and place a close fitting lid on the pan. Cook, shaking the pan once or twice, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the shells have opened. Turn off the heat and drain the mussels into a colander set over a bowl to catch the cooking liquor. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened.
When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shells and place it in a bowl. Reserve the cooking liquor, it’s very important for the dish.
Rinse the pan and return it to a medium heat. Add half the butter and the olive oil. When it begins to bubble add the smoked bacon and cook until it starts to crisp slightly around the edges. Add the shallots, celery and garlic. Season lightly and cook, stirring regularly, for 6 to 8 minutes, making sure the vegetables do not colour too much.
Drain the barley and stir it into the vegetables. Pour in the white wine and allow it to simmer. Add a quarter of the hot mussel stock and stir well. Keep stirring until the grains have absorbed the liquid. Add another quarter of the stock and repeat the process, stirring regularly, until all the stock has been used.
Chop the parsley leaves and add them to the pan along with the cream, the remaining butter and the reserved uncooked mussels. Stir once or twice and place the lid on the pan until the mussels have opened. Stir in all the picked mussel meat and season well with salt and pepper.
Serve the mussels and barley with good bread and a crisp dressed salad.
