Mussels with Wild Garlic, Bacon & Cider Recipe
Spring is that time of year when we can enjoy warmer weather and the promise of a long lazy summer ahead. It's the perfect time to cook seafood dishes and to take advantage of the free wild garlic growing in abundance in our woodlands. Combine these with some refreshing cider and you have a delicious mussel recipe to try below.
Ingredients
400g fresh live mussels
1 onion, chopped
3 slices smoked bacon, chopped
1 large handful wild garlic, shredded
300ml dry cider
Method
Firstly you need to pick your wild garlic, this can be found in most woodlands and the best bit it’s free. One large handful is plenty for this dish.
Mussels need a little preparation but not much, remove any beards attached and discard any that remain opened once pinched together or when the shell is tapped and place into a large bowl and rinse in water, drain and your ready to go.
Chop an onion and some smoked bacon and add these to a pan with some oil and fry until the onion starts to soften. Shred the wild garlic and add this to the pan and allow to wilt a little then add some dry cider and let this cook down to reduce to about half.
Add the mussels, place the lid on and cook until the mussels have opened. You may need to check this from time to time but this should take around 4-5 minutes. Dish up and serve with fries or bread to mop up those delicious juices.