Mussels and bacon in white wine
17 min
The mussels are flavoured with bacon and oak-smoked garlic and simmered in white wine. They are served on a bed of oakleaf lettuce for a light dinner or delicious starter. Don't forget the fresh baguette for mopping up the sauce!
2 people made this
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
- 2 oak-smoked garlic cloves, crushed
- 8 rashers smoked bacon, cut into pieces
- 225g (8 oz) mussels, in shells
- 150ml (5 fl oz) white wine
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 oakleaf lettuce
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Method
Prep:10min ›
Cook:7min ›
Ready in:17min
- In a large frying pan, over a medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil and cook and stir the spring onions and garlic for 1 minute. Add the bacon and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the mussels and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and simmer for a few more minutes until the mussels open. Discard any unopened mussels. Sprinkle the dish with 1 tablespoon parsley.
- Shake remaining 1 tablespoon oil and vinegar together and toss with lettuce leaves. Arrange dressed lettuce on plates. Ladle the bacon and mussels on top and sprinkle with remaining parsley.
Tip
Oak-smoked garlic cloves may not be available in your local shops. Try searching online or in speciality shops.
When buying mussels in shops, look for mussels with tightly closed shells, discard any that do not close when tapped - the mussels must be alive when you cook them. It is important to discard any mussels that do not open fully during cooking. Don't overcook them otherwise they will become rubbery.
