Mussels for Saturday lunch

Well, we were by the sea, so fish was on the menu. We went to the beach-side fishmonger in the morning but sadly they didn't have mussels, although we did get big, raw prawns and a large Dover sole to share for our New Year's Eve dinner. The local Waitrose did provide the mussels though, and I felt a little foolish knowing those mussels had probably travelled most of the country before getting back to the seaside, but I guess that's how it all works. We also managed to buy some scallops at great expense in Waitrose, as the fishmonger didn't have any in.

For lunch I cooked the mussels in white wine and lots of garlic, adding double cream, a touch of butter and fresh parsley and tarragon at the end. We sliced a delicious organic brown loaf from Waitrose (look out for them if you live near a Waitrose) to dip in the sauce and eat on the side, thickly spread with butter. The mussels were good, but slighly flabby - I don't think it was my cooking, at least I hope it wasn't - perhaps it was something to do with they way they were rope-grown, as I usually buy 'wild' ones, if I can.

Mussels served cold

Last night I went to see my parents. I was late arriving there so very sadly I had missed their dinner of mussels (to start) then dover sole, but my saintly mother had kept back a big bowl of mussels for my boyfriend and me to share, and a good chunk of a soft, large, white baguette. People often say to me that you shouldn't eat mussels cold - what on earth are they thinking? It is just a misguided worry about the perils of eating shellfish? Admittedly they're at their best served as soon as they're cooked, in a steaming broth in to which you can dip your bread and soak up the fishy, garlicky juices, but served cold the flavour develop and they are delcious in their own way. We had mussels bought from a seaside fishmonger's that morning (he said they were Shetland mussels - they may not have been local but at least they're British), straight out the shell with thickly buttered (lurpak, of course) bread and a lovely glass of pouilly-fumé. Don't they look nice? Mmmm, it's nice to come home.