Classic French Moules Marinière

Finely slice 5 shallots and bash 2 cloves of garlic. Take 1 small bunch of fresh parsley and 1 stalk of celery, and pluck off all the leaves. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and celery leaves. Tie the parsley stems and celery stalk together with 1 herb bundle (thyme, rosemary, bay leaf) using kitchen twine.

Place 1000g of fresh mussels into a large bowl under cold running tap water. Scrub off any grit or barnacles and pull off the hairy beard strings. Inspect every mussel carefully, discarding any broken ones or open mussels that refuse to close when gently squeezed.

Place a large casserole pot over medium heat and melt 30g of butter until sizzling. Add the prepared herb bundle directly into the melted butter to infuse aromatics. Add the sliced shallots and smashed garlic into the pot. Cook while stirring with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes until the shallots become soft and translucent.

Pour 250ml of dry white wine into the pot. Season with 0.5 tsp of salt and 0.5 tsp of black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and let the broth simmer vigorously for about 2 minutes to reduce slightly and burn off raw alcohol fumes.

Add all cleaned mussels and the chopped celery leaves into the boiling pot. Place the lid tightly onto the pot and steam over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, shaking or stirring once or twice, until all mussel shells pop wide open.

Remove the lid and pour in 50ml of double cream. Sprinkle the chopped parsley leaves over the top. Stir gently with a wooden spoon for 1 minute until the cream dissolves smoothly into the hot white wine broth.

Transfer the hot mussels into a wide serving bowl and pour the aromatic creamy white wine broth generously over the top. Serve piping hot alongside crispy french fries and a glass of chilled beer.