PAIRED WITH: Cape of Good Hope Altima Sauvignon Blanc
Cape of Good Hope recipe series by Ilse van der Merwe (thefoodfox.com)
Photographs by Tasha Seccombe
Mussels in a creamy white wine, garlic and herb sauce
Ingredients
- 1,5kg fresh black mussels
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 – 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only + extra, to serve
- 250ml (1 cup) dry white wine
- 125ml (½ cup) fresh cream
- handful finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to serve
- loaf crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
Place the mussels in a large bowl of cold water and rinse well. Remove the beards by pulling off the grassy bits from the pointy edge of the mussels. Drain the mussels and set aside.
In a large pot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and thyme, frying until it is soft and fragrant, but not too dark, about 15 minutes. Add the wine and turn up the heat to high. As soon as the liquid comes to the boil, add the mussels all at once and cover the pot with a lid. Steam for 3 minutes, then give the mussels a stir. Cover and steam for another 2 minutes, making sure the mussels have opened properly – discard any mussels that do not open.
Remove from heat, add the cream and stir to combine. Ladle into bowls, scatter with the chopped parsley and some more thyme, and serve at once with crusty bread to mop up the fragrant sauce.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
