A Taste of the Sea

As a child, I hated seafood - I’m not sure why - I think it was because my friend from school hated it and therefore, I decided I did too – a common trait when you’re 6 years old.

However, having spent many summers as a child holidaying with my family on the Cornish coast, my dislike for seafood was soon altered. One afternoon, my Father took us to Harlyn Bay, just down the coast from Padstow. Instead of being given the usual entertainment of a bucket and spade to build sandcastles, an activity which occupied myself and my sisters for many glorious, though competitive hours, he introduced us to mussel picking. At first, I had no idea what these peculiar looking shells where, but I happily went along with it - I think more so to see if I could fill my bucket to the top first, which of course, I did! But it wasn’t until we returned home, did I realise that what we’d caught was to be our supper that night. With my dislike for seafood momentarily forgotten and replaced with the image of being the family’s ‘hunter gatherer’, I got to work scrubbing and pulling off the ‘beards’ from my ‘catch of the day’. Dad, who is rarely found in the kitchen other than mealtimes, then demonstrated to his four puzzled daughters how to cook these little gems of the sea. He placed what we now know to be called ‘mussels’ (and not the same as the ones in his arm) in a saucepan of water, wine (which immediately excited us, being children, and alcohol legally off limits - this feed was looking to be the best ever!), garlic and herbs. The smell was intoxicating and before long, supper was on the table and our prized catch was ready to eat. It was delicious and a real taste of the sea - this is where my ever-growing love for seafood began.

Mussels are very reasonable to buy, even cheaper if you pick them straight off the rocks, though given this time of year; I doubt any of you will be venturing to the beach. This is a light yet warming recipe, and a dish that won’t destroy the diet..

Mussels with Bacon and Cider

Serves 6

Ingredients

3kg fresh Cornish Mussels

12 chunky rashers smoked streaky bacon, thickly sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

600ml good cider, (for those on detox, the alcohol reduces when cooked, therefore it doesn’t count!)

200ml crème fraiche

Handful of tarragon leaves, roughly chopped

Handful of parsley, roughly chopped

Olive oil

A knob of butter

Salt & Pepper

• Scrub the mussels thoroughly and remove their hairy beards
• If any of the mussels are open, gently tap them to see if they close and if they are still open after a few minutes, throw them away
• Melt the butter with olive oil in a saucepan and add the bacon, cooking until it’s crispy - then place to one side
• Add a little olive oil to the pan, pour in the mussels, garlic, onions and cider
• Cover with a lid and cook for 4 minutes until the mussels have opened – stirring occasionally
• Once cooked, remove the mussels, leaving the juices in the pan
• Place the mussels to one side and keep warm - throw away any mussels that are still closed
• Add crème fraiche to the sauce and bring to the boil for a few minutes
• Add tarragon, parsley, bacon and season
• Stir in the mussels and serve immediately with chunky bread

Writer’s note: Mussels are in season in each month featuring the letter ‘R’.

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