Mussels with Saffron and Spinach
This is a beautiful dish with golden creamy sauce and bright green spinach leaves contrasting wonderfully with the black and orange of the mussels
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
10
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
10
MINUTES
Ingredients
150g (5oz) spinach
extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp dry white wine
2 sweet white onions, finely chopped
4 bay leaves
1 celery stick, finely chopped (optional)
a few sprigs of thyme
10 black peppercorns
1kg (2 ÂĽlb) mussels, cleaned and debearded
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pinches of saffron strands
250g (9oz) crème fraîche
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Method
- Wash the spinach, drain and then wilt it in a pan with a little olive oil. Don’t overcook it. Set aside.
Pour the wine into a large heavy-based pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the onions, bay leaves, celery (if using), thyme and peppercorns and bring to a simmer.
Now tip in the mussels and cover the pan, keeping it over a low heat. Shake the pan now and then to distribute the shellfish. Check to see that the mussels have opened and, when they are all open, tip the lot into a colander set over a bowl to catch the stock. Remove the flesh from some of the mussels and discard these shells. Discard any mussels that have refused to open.
Wipe the pan and return it to the heat. Melt the butter and add the saffron, crème fraiche and the mussel liquor. Check for seasoning and add freshly ground black pepper. It’s just possible you will also need salt, but mussel stock is usually salted enough. Bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes, then return the spinach and the mussels. Cook for a minute to warm the mussels through, then serve immediately in warmed bowls with crusty bread.
This recipe comes from Sam and Jeannie Chesterton’s The Buenvino Cookbook.
