Linguini with Mussels, Saffron and Cream (4)
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Wash the mussels really well, scrubbing off barnacles and removing any beards. Tap each one on the side of the sink. If it doesn’t close when you tap it, throw it away.
  2. Melt 10g of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic. Cook over a medium heat until the onion is soft and pale gold.Add the wine and 100ml water. Bring to just under the boil then add the mussels.
  3. Cover and cook for a few minutes or until the mussels have opened, shaking the pan a few times. Leave to cool, then strain the mussel juice through a sieve lined with muslin or a new J-cloth.
  4. Remove the mussel meat from most of the mussels (keep about 24 in their shells – it looks nice if you serve some of them like this). Throw away any mussels that haven’t opened.
  5. Add the saffron to the mussel cooking liquor and reduce it to 175ml by boiling. Add the cream and boil for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is a little thicker.
  6. Meanwhile cook the pasta until it’s al dente then drain.
  7. Add the mussels to the saffron cream and heat through. Whisk in the rest of the cold butter. You shouldn’t need any seasoning as the mussel cooking liquor is salty, but check. Toss the pasta in the pan with the mussels then serve.