CookEatShare is also available in
English
Cerrar
¡La cocina más grande del mundo!
Select Language
Español
Русский
English
日本語
Italiano
Preferencia de Lenguaje
Inscríbate
Iniciar sección para miembros
Inicio
Recetas
Chefs
Temas & Guías
Grupos
Mis Páginas
Recetario
Noticias
+ Receta
Mussels and Scones: a Cornish spring
by
Hazel Sheard
Calificación: 4.0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
click to rate
1 voto
| 576 views
0 evaluaciónes
|
0 comentarios
Pin It
Add to Recipe Box
Print Recipe
Receta
Reviews/Comments
Close this frame
%20and%20watch%20Jeeves%20and%20Wooster%20and%20get%20drenched%20to%20the%20skin%20without%20freezing%20and%20paddle%20in%20the%20sea%20to%20the%20perturbation%20of%20the%20canines%20and%20commune%20with%20the%20llamas%20and%20get%20adored%20and%20attacked%20by%20turns%20by%20the%20cats%20and%20have%20all%20my%20family%20around%20for%20approximately%20four%20hours%20and%20eat%20too%20much%20chocolate%20and%20generally%20get%20excited%20about%20the%20turning%20of%20the%20English%20seasons.%20%20It%20was%20great.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESomething%20I've%20been%20meaning%20to%20do%20for%20ages%20has%20been%20to%20pick%20mussels%20off%20the%20beach%20and%20cook%20them%20myself.%20%20The%20Cornish%20coast%20is%20ideal%20for%20this%20-%20it's%20a%20rocky%20shore,%20but%20there%20are%20are%20some%20quite%20deep%20beaches%20which%20means%20that%20there%20are%20rocks%20exposed%20only%20for%20half%20an%20hour%20or%20so%20at%20low%20tide%20and%20also%20the%20water%20is%20relatively%20warm.%20%20I%20think%20it's%20those%20two%20things%20which%20lead%20to%20the%20wild%20mussels%20down%20there%20being%20nearly%20as%20big%20as%20the%20farmed%20ones%20which%20are%20under%20water%20all%20the%20time.%20%20I%20didn't%20pick%20anything%20that%20was%20much%20smaller%20than%20my%20thumb,%20and%20that%20was%20easy%20to%20do.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThere%20are%20a%20couple%20of%20beaches%20I've%20had%20my%20eyes%20on%20for%20a%20year%20or%20two%20actually,%20to%20pick%20mussels%20from,%20but%20circumstances%20like%20the%20tide,%20the%20weather%20and%20not%20having%20a%20bag%20with%20me%20have%20hindered%20me%20a%20bit.%20%20This%20time,%20however,%20I%20finally%20got%20around%20to%20it%20on%20Holywell%20beach.%20%20The%20dogs%20were%20bemused%20as%20to%20why%20we%20were%20spending%2020%20minutes%20standing%20around%20by%20some%20rocks%20when%20there%20were%20a%20whole%20load%20of%20interesting%20bits%20of%20seaweed%20on%20the%20tideline,%20not%20to%20mention%20bunnies%20in%20the%20dunes.%20%20Rocky%20noticed%20me%20pulling%20things%20off%20the%20rocks.%20%20I%20think%20he%20thought%20that%20they%20must%20be%20like%20blackberries,%20which%20he%20loves%20and%20picks%20for%20himself%20whenever%20he%20can.%20%20He%20tried%20to%20pull%20off%20a%20few%20for%20himself%20but%20decided%20that%20they%20were%20better%20to%20roll%20in%20than%20to%20eat.%20%20Kiri%20used%20to%20eat%20barnacles%20off%20rocks,%20it's%20true,%20but%20never%20managed%20mussels...%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMussels%20are%20easy%20to%20cook.%20%20There%20are%20schools%20of%20thought%20about%20whether%20you%20need%20to%20soak%20them%20in%20salted%20water%20with%20flour%20or%20oatmeal%20overnight%20before%20you%20eat%20them%20or%20not.%20%20I%20did%20soak%20them,%20more%20because%20I%20didn't%20want%20to%20eat%20them%20until%20the%20next%20day%20than%20anything%20else,%20and%20they%20were%20pretty%20grit%20free%20so%20I%20have%20nothing%20much%20to%20add%20to%20the%20lore%20on%20that.%20%20I%20ended%20up%20with%20a%20mixing%20bowl%20full%20of%20molluscs%20-%20I%20guess%20something%20in%20the%20region%20of%206%20or%207%20pints%20or%20two%20ish%20kilos,%20but%20that's%20just%20a%20guess.%20%20Enough%20to%20make%20a%20good%20sized%20starter%20for%20five,%20anyway.%20%20The%20only%20time%20consuming%20part%20of%20the%20whole%20process%20is%20cleaning%20them.%20%20You%20have%20to%20go%20through%20the%20bowl%20and%20pull%20of%20the%20'beards'%20or%20'byssus'%20by%20which%20they%20attach%20themselves%20to%20the%20rock%20and%20scrape%20off%20the%20barnacles%20(which%20introduce%20grit,),%20and%20throw%20away%20any%20that%20don't%20close%20when%20tapped.%20%20I%20guess%20that%20took%20me%2040%20minutes%20or%20so.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20then%20chopped%20about%208%20shallots%20and%20a%20couple%20of%20cloves%20of%20garlic%20and%20softened%20them%20in%20olive%20oil.%20%20I%20added%20a%20wine%20glass%20full%20of%20white%20wine,%20a%20bay%20leaf,%20some%20black%20pepper%20and%20the%20clean%20mussels.%20%20I%20clapped%20the%20lid%20on%20and%20left%20it%20for%20five%20minutes,%20by%20which%20point%20all%20the%20shells%20had%20opened.%20%20I%20transferred%20the%20mussels%20into%20hot%20bowls%20and%20stirred%20some%20double%20cream%20(optional)%20and%20a%20large%20handful%20of%20chopped%20parsley%20into%20the%20juices.%20%20After%20heating%20through,%20I%20poured%20this%20over%20each%20portion%20of%20shellfish%20and%20served%20the%20lot%20with%20hot%20french%20bread.%20%20It's%20possibly%20my%20favourite%20dish%20to%20eat%20ever.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMy%20next%20ambition%20with%20mussels%20is%20to%20cook%20them%20actually%20ON%20the%20beach%20-%20picking%20them%20and%20then%20barbecuing%20them%20until%20they%20open,%20and%20then%20dipping%20the%20meat%20into%20garlic%20and%20parsley%20butter.%20%20Heaven.%20%20My%20next%20wild%20caught%20shellfish%20plan%20revolves%20around%20trying%20to%20catch%20some%20crayfish%20in%20the%20old%20mill%20stream%20that%20runs%20across%20my%20parents'%20garden...%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20had%20an%20American%20in%20Cornwall.%20%20I%20needed%20to%20illustrate%20what%20a%20cream%20tea%20is,%20which%20meant%20I%20made%20scones%20to%20serve%20with%20strawberry%20jam%20and%20clotted%20cream.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20firmly%20believe%20that%20there%20is%20little%20point%20in%20scones%20beyond%20vast%20quantities%20of%20strawberry%20jam%20and%20clotted%20cream.%20%20If%20you%20can't%20get%20good%20versions%20of%20both,%20don't%20bother.%20%20Handily,%20the%20West%20Country%20is%20brilliant%20at%20both.%20%20The%20scone%20recipe%20I%20used%20came%20out%20of%20the%20'The%20Dairy%20Cookbook',%20which%20is%20older%20than%20I%20am%20and%20only%20still%20has%20covers%20because%20the%20bookcase%20holds%20all%20the%20parts%20of%20it%20together.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%20has%20recipes%20for%20all%20the%20old%20fashioned%20things%20(provided%20they%20contain%20dairy)%20that%20one%20actually%20needs%20now%20and%20again%20and%20which%20new%20books%20rarely%20contain.%20%20I%20think%20you%20can%20probably%20read%20the%20recipe%20in%20the%20(rather%20dark,%20sorry)%20photograph,%20but%20I%20edit%20it%20very%20slightly:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPreheat%20the%20oven%20to%20230%C2%B0C,%20with%20two%20or%20three%20large%20baking%20sheet%20inside.%20%20Sift%20together%20the%20flour,%20sugar,%20salt%20and%20baking%20powder%20several%20times%20to%20ensure%20they%20are%20well%20combined.%20%20Rub%20in%20the%20butter%20until%20the%20mixture%20looks%20like%20fine%20breadcrumbs,%20and%20then%20add%20the%20milk%20a%20little%20at%20a%20time%20until%20a%20smooth%20dough%20is%20achieved.%20%20Knead%20lightly%20(scones%20are%20in%20theory%20better%20the%20less%20you%20handle%20the%20dough)%20until%20smooth,%20adding%20more%20milk%20if%20required.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ERoll%20out%20the%20dough%20to%20around%201.5%20cm%20thick%20and%20cut%20rounds%20about%205%20centimetres%20across.%20%20Brush%20each%20with%20a%20little%20milk%20and%20sprinkle%20lightly%20with%20sugar%20to%20give%20a%20crunchy%20sweet%20top%20to%20each%20scone.%20%20Transfer%20them%20to%20the%20hot%20baking%20sheets%20and%20bake%20for%2010-12%20minutes%20until%20well%20browned.%20%20Cool%20on%20racks%20and%20eat%20while%20still%20warm,%20with%20jam%20and%20cream.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}