We were only in Nice for a couple of nights, yet there were two very important things that I wanted to accomplish in that short space of time. Firstly, I wanted to visit the Cours Saleya Market in the heart of Old Town and secondly, I desperately wanted to fall into a heavenly big bowl of Moules frites.

That morning while we were at the Cours Saleya Market we just so happened to walk past a very, chic looking bistro called Le Pilou. Yet it was not the brightly painted interior or smart looking waiters that prompted me to make a dinner reservation right there and then. What sealed the deal for me was the humongous bowls of Moules frites that were being rapidly consumed by the satisfied and content looking patrons.

So later that evening just before dusk Gillian, Brendan, Stephen and myself walked along the Promenade des Anglais and headed towards Le Pilou au Cours Saleya. The reality is, you could have blindfolded me and I would have still found my way to Le Pilou as I could smell the intoxicating aroma of the Moules à la Marinière a mile off!

Moules à la Marinière

I've been making mussels this way for years and it is my hope that one day I will own one of these nifty Staub Mussel pots to cook them in. Hence, good quality mussels that haven't been dredged shouldn't need to be soaked in cold water as they are absent of excess grit and sand.


Ingredients

2kg large Tasmanian Spring Bay mussels

1 cup of dry white vermouth

5 shallots, minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

50ml olive oil

4tbs butter

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 fresh bay leaf

½ cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste




Method

1. Wash the mussels under cold running water and remove the beards.

2. Heat the oil and butter in a large, heavy based saucepan and add the shallots, garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook very briefly.

3. Add the mussels and the vermouth and cover with the lid and allow the mussels to steam in their own juices for about 5 minutes or until the shells have opened. Mid-way through the steaming process I usually take hold of the saucepan with both hands, and while the lid is still on I give the mussels a vigorous shake. This allows the mussels to cook evenly.

4. Remove the mussels from the pot into a colander, ensuring that a heatproof container is underneath to catch the juices. Discard any unopened mussels.

5. Divide the mussels and the cooking liquid between four large bowls and sprinkle generously with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with French fries and lots of crusty bread.