The table of old times,
The Book of Recipes

FISH MUSSELS

Period: 17th century / Category: entry

La Varenne, The François cook

Ingredients

for 6 persons :

1.5 kg of bouchot mussels
1 bouquet garni
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
50g butter
1 small pinch of ground or grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 small bunch of chopped fresh chives
3 egg yolks
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil

The preparation

1- Wash the mussels in cold water. If necessary, remove their beards and any rough spots on the shells using a small knife. Rinse the mussels with cold water until the water is clear. Be careful to remove any raw mussels that are already open or floating on the surface.
2- Place the mussels in a large pot with the bouquet garni, cover, and cook over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir occasionally until all the mussels have opened. Remove the lid, turn off the heat, and let cool. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
3- Shell the mussels, keeping the best-looking shells for the final decoration. Strain the cooking juices and set aside.
4- In a frying pan, brown the shallot in the butter, then add the mussels, nutmeg, parsley, and chives. Stir-fry the mixture for one minute and remove from heat.

5- In a small pot, beat the egg yolks with a ladle and a half of the mussel cooking juices and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning.
6- Arrange the mussels in individual bowls and cover with the hot sauce.

7- Decorate with mussel shells and chopped chervil and serve.