Irish Kate McCullough’s Mussels in Guinness
Irish Kate Mccollough Mussels in Guinness
“At 10 O’clock in the evening they were still only abreast of Queenstown, and Phileas Fogg had no more than 20 hours to reach London...”
Around the World in Eighty Dishes is the culinary diary of photographer David Loftus - a tribute to the fictitious hero of the classic adventure novel Around the World in Eighty Days - where Phileas Fogg navigates the globe in an almost inconceiveable 80 days. Each recipe represents a day in the journey of Phileas Fogg, but also a time in Loftus’ life, the culinary heroes he’s worked with, and the destinations he’s been sent to. Just as Fogg journied the Irish coast, Loftus asked the lovely Irish Kate (McCullough) to create a recipe in honour of his late Godfather & mentor, the film producer Lord Brabourne, who he fondly remembers slurping his mussels and murmuring ‘God these are good’ as he scoffed them by the bucket load.
Serves 2 Hearty Irishmen
A knob of butter 1 shallot, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 2 rashes of smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped A small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped 1 bay leaf Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1kg/2lb 2oz mussels, cleaned 250 ml/9fl oz Guinness 50 ml/2fl oz cream
Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the shallot, garlic and bacon and cook until the shallot is translucent and the bacon is a golden brown. Add half the thyme and parsley, the bay leaf and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add the mussels to the pan, discarding any that are open and will not close when you tap them, then pour in the Guinness. Bring to boil, then turn down the heat and place a lid on the pan. Leave for 3-5 minutes, or until the mussels have steamed open. Remove the pan from the heat and discard any unopened mussels. Stir in the cream, and add the rest of the parsley and thyme. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve immediately, with brown soda bread and salty butter.
