Mussels on vegetable bed

Moules marinières is a classic French mussel dish.  This time I wanted to serve the mussels on a vegetable bed. Prepare first the vegetable bed and keep warm in a large sauté pan under lid while you cook the mussels marinière style.

2 servings

For the vegetable bed:
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 carrots, sliced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
½ fennel, sliced
A handful of spinach leaves
75 ml white wine
½ tsp. dried Provençal herbs
Freshly ground black pepper

Warm the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and start sautéing the shallot and garlic.

Slice the carrots and microwave with a little water for about 4 minutes until soft. Add to the sauté pan. Peel and chop the sweet potato. Microwave with a little water for about 4 minutes until soft and add to the pan. Slice the fennel and microwave with a little water for about 4 minutes, the add to the pan. Add the white wine, Provençal herbs, black pepper, and the spinach. Reduce the heat and cover. The spinach will be wilted while you cook the mussels. When the spinach is wilted reduce the heat to very low just to keep the vegetable warm under lid.

For the mussels:
About 1- 1,4 kg mussels (they often come in 1,4 kg packages prewashed)
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
75 ml white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley

In a large heavy casserole, warm the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the shallot and garlic for about 5 minutes.

Pour the mussels in a large bowl with water and check that they are all closed and that the shells are not damaged. Add the white wine and black pepper to the casserole and turn the heat higher. Add the mussels and cover. The mussels take about 4 minutes to be cooked after steam has started to form in the casserole. Stir the mussels a couple of times. Cook until all the shells have opened, the add the parsley.

Divide the vegetable sauté on large, deep plates. Add about half of the mussels on top. Keep the rest of the mussels in the casserole under lid and divide for the second helping.