Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

4 1/2 lb Fresh mussels 1/2 ts Saffron, ground
2 tb Olive oil 1/2 ts Cloves, ground
1 lg Onion, very finely chopped 1/2 ts Salt
2 Leeks, very finely sliced 4 Grinds of black pepper
1 1/2 lb Almonds, ground 2 c Milk
2 ts Ginger, ground 1 tb White wine vinegar (to 2 tb)

This dish would have been served on one of the fish eating days of the
British medieval calendar, and in a grand household, it would have
been one of ten to fifteen of such dishes presented to the lord and
his guests..

DIRECTIONS:

Clean mussels thoroughly, removing beards, and discarding any which
do not close when tapped. Bring 4 cups water to the boil in the
bottom of a large pan with a few slices of lemon and 2/3 cup of white
wine. Drop the mussels in, turn the heat up to maximum, cover with a
lid and cook briskly for 2-3 minutes or till all of the mussels have
opened. Discard any that do not.

Dran the remaining ones, remove their shells, reserve the juices.
Meanwhile cook the onion slowly in the oil till it is soft, but not
colored. Put the leek with the almonds, spices and the milk in a pan
and bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes, then add to the
shelled mussels along with the onions. Bring all to the boil and
simmer together for a few minutes. Add the wine vinegar to tast and
add further seasoning if needed. Thin the sauce with some of the
reserved cooking liquid, if you think it needs it. Serve the broth
in bowls with plenty of fresh brown bread.

Posted by Sam Lefkowitz, 4/6/95

Converted to Meal-Master format by Arthur Cloninger.

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