Shetland Mussels with Leek, Smokey Bacon & Cider

This delicious dish of Shetland Mussels with Leek, Smokey Bacon & Cider comes courtesy of The Brasserie at Crieff Hydro.

I arrived at the Brasserie this week to capture this delicious dish and was was greeted by warm and friendly staff. Even though it was early afternoon the restaurant was busy and the atmosphere was lively.

The Brasserie places a big emphasis on sourcing Scottish ingredients and in my opinion Shetland produces some of the best mussels I have tasted. This is a great dish to try at home and mussels are a healthy meal being low in fat and high in nutrients like omega-3 and iron. They are also a great source of protein.

This recipe is packed full of flavour and the leeks and bacon give the mussels a great taste.

This is a superb family friendly restaurant too and it is definitely the place to come if you're looking for cheery atmosphere. The menu is packed full of fresh, quality Scottish ingredients and serves a good range of favourites from Scottish grills and steaks to beer battered haddock and french fries. Vegetarian, nut and gluten free options are available on the menu. The Barsserie is open to non-residents and serves lunch and dinner daily.

Gill X

Ingredients:

1kg Cleaned Shetland mussels
500ml olive oil
2 leeks washed and sliced
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 small banana shallots finely diced
2 bay leaves
160g smoked bacon cut into small pieces
400ml Cider
160ml double cream
2 handfuls parsley and chives chopped
Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
4 petit pan
100g butter (unsalted)
1tsp parsley
2 garlic cloves chopped

Method

Mussels

1. Thoroughly wash the mussels, remove the beards and discard any that are heavy, broken or that remain open when tapped.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion, bacon and leek with the bay leaf and garlic.

3. Add the cider to the pan and bring it to a gentle boil.

4. Add the mussels, cover the pan tightly with lid and steam for 2 minutes, or until the mussel shells start to open

5. Add the cream, bring to the boil and remove from the heat

6. Remove any unopened shells, toss in the chopped herbs and serve in a bow.

Garlic Bread

1. Spoon the butter into a small bowl

2. Place some of the garlic cloves into the crusher, squeeze the handle tightly down and scrape off the crushed garlic into the bowl

3. Continue this process until all the garlic has been crushed.

4. Add the parsley

5. Season with salt and pepper and mix well

6. Spread onto the bread and either grill or oven bake

Enjoy!

Nicki's Tuppenceworth

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Nicki X

By Nicola Martin