Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Mussels with white wine and cream (mariniére)

I love mussels and mu favorite is “moules mariniéres”, mussels in wine and cream. It is so quick to make and so delicious, we eat it often. The best time to eat mussels is from july to january. These mussels are from la baie du Mont-St-Michel. I dont give exact quantities, taste and add as you go along.

Moules mariniéres(mussels with white wine and cream)

Recipe:

  • About 1kg mussels
  • 1 large onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • knob of butter
  • olive oil
  • 1 lemon for zest and juice
  • glass of dry white wine
  • cream to taste
  • salt and pepper
  • fresh dill chopped
  1. Put the mussels in a large bowl with water and salt and leave for 5 minutes. Wash and rinse under cold water, pull out the beard and discard any open and broken mussels.
  2. Chop the onion and garlic and add to a big casserole.
  3. Add olive oil and a knob of butter, and sauté the onions and garlic until translucent.
  4. Add the glass of wine and some freshly squeezed lemon juice to the onions and leave to cook for about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the mussles, cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes or until the mussels have all opened up completely.
  6. Add the cream, turn off the heat and scatter the chopped dill and lemon zest over the mussels.
  7. Season and serve the mussels immedately with bread to mop up the juices and a glass of white wine.

Serves 4

Pinch of salt:

  1. The saltwater before rinsing helps to remove sand from the mussels.
  2. Discard all broken mussels and those that are already open.
  3. Dont cook the mussels too log to avoid them being tough and rubbery. Check on them, it takes only 3-5minutes.
  4. Replace the dill with fresh parsley.

Baguette for the delicious cream sauce

Scatter with freshly chopped dill

Mopping the sauce with some fresh, crusty baguette.

Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Quince compote and spices

I simply adore quince. As a child I ate it raw with a pinch of salt. A fond memory. I like to bake it in the oven, as in here, or on pan fried on the stove like here or a crumble like here. Today I made a simple compote that is delicious with a scoop of créme fraiche or even ice cream. It can be served with duck or chicken or how about pork, giving you that sweet sour taste. It is so easy to make, a proper seasonal fruit and along with some spices, falls right into perfection for autumn. I give relative quantities. The best way is to find your own path, taste and adjust and add as you go along.

Small wild quince.

Recipe:

  • 2 large quinces
  • 2 lemons
  • 2 star anis
  • tsp red peppercorns (optional)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • grated nutmeg
  • a pinch of fleur de sel
  • 500 ml water
  • 350 ml sugar
  1. Peel the quinces, cut off the ends and cut into pieces along with the core and seeds.
  2. Add to a bowl and drizzle liberally with lemon juice.
  3. Sprinkle with the spices and fleur de sel and add to a casserole, along with the lemon juice.
  4. Add the water and sugar and simmer gently for about 45 minute or until the water has dissolved and the quince are tender. Dont stir too much if you dont want a puree.
  5. Remove the cinnamon stick and the star anis after 15 minutes of cooking.
  6. Sterilize 2 canfruit bottles and pour in the hot quince. Let it cool and store in the fridge.

Pinch of salt.

  • Tplace the spices with a vanilla pod, seeds scraped out and pod and seeds addd to the quince.
  • If you dont like the seedsand core of th quince, add them to a little bouquet garni muslin pouch and remove at the end of cooking.
  • The seeds and core are important for the red coloring of the quince and they are full of gelatin which helps to thicken the syrup.
  • Replace the lemon juice with orange juice.
  • Dont worry about the coloration of the quince when you peel it. It is normal. Add some lemon juice, but it wont stop the coloration completely.
  • Add some apple pieces to the quince mixture for variation.