Moules Provencale

(Mussels Provencale Style)

Serves 4 as entrée, 2 as main course

You will need, for the Provencale sauce:

600gr tinned chopped tomatoes
6 cloves chopped garlic
1 onion finely diced
1 med red chilli diced (seeds in if you like it hot, seeds out it you like it mild)
75ml of white wine
5 tbsp of fennel seed, or 1 small head of fresh fennel about 100-150 gr finely chopped
2tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
½ bunch of basil leaves chopped
3 sprigs of thyme picked or chopped
3 bay leaves (look like eucalyptus leaves well that is what my niece thinks, available in the dry spice isle of the supermarket)
Salt and pepper
Pinch of sugar
Method: Get a heavy based sauce pan heat it up over a medium heat, add your olive oil, diced onion, chilli, garlic and fennel, cook for 1-2 mins until the onion has softened add your white wine, tinned tomatoes, basil, thyme and bay leafs, allow it to come to the boil and simmer for 10-15 mins, season with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar

For the mussels:

2kg of fresh black mussels
1 carrot small dice
½ onion small dice
1 stick of celery small dice
2 cloves of garlic diced
2tbsp olive oil
½ bunch of chopped basil
100ml white wine
150gr of chopped black olives

Method:

To clean your mussel (stop smirking), give it a shower under the tap give it a scrub, and don’t forget to give it a manicure by pulling off its beard. Get a heavy based pan with a firm fitting lid and place it on a high heat (if you do not have a pot big enough for your mussel do it two times). We want our mussel to have a really quick hot steamy time. Now after your pan has heated up place your diced vegetables and chopped garlic in the pan quickly give it a mix so it does not burn, add our white wine and our mussels, quickly put the lid on and leave for a few minutes. If you see it steaming, it means the mussels are having a great time so don’t open the lid and spoil their fun. After a few good minutes all the mussels should be open, add our Provencale sauce black olives and basil. Serve it up heaped up in a big main bowl with a few slices of crunchy wholegrain bread to mop up the beautiful sauce. This recipe is great with some cooked cous cous, a fresh green salad or some cooked spaghetti with some mussels tossed through. Now your'e cooking with gas.

Some handy tips for your mussel….

How do you pick good mussels (besides the ones at the gym)?

• Your mussels should Pick up your mussel and smell it, it should smell fresh like the ocean not like sweaty armpits.
• The mussel should feel heavy, like it should after a good work out
• Ask your fishmonger when he got his mussels (don’t be shy now)

Why would you want good mussels?

• They are low in saturated fat and high in omega 3
• Omega 3 the good fat (sounds funny doesn’t it?). Omega 3 has been linked to reducing inflammation, increasing immune system function, improving blood lipid profile
• Low in sodium
• You can be strong with good mussels, because they are packed with muscle building protein.
• Good for your love mussel (that’s what we hear)

Ps: Robert Lugton is responsible for all the bad jokes in this recipe and would like to apologise for any damage or discomfort caused by these jokes.

Okay okay one really bad last joke

What happened to the prawn when he went to disco? He pulled a mussel and had to go home.

About the Author

Robert Lugton has been working in the hospitality industry for 7 years now as a chef. He also has an avid interest in fitness and nutrition. He is currently studying a Bachelor of Applied Science in Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Queensland.