Moules Marinières

Scrub each mussel under cold running water, tug away any beards with a firm downward pull, and discard any mussel that is cracked or remains open after a sharp tap on the counter — these are not safe to cook. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Finely dice the shallots, slice the garlic, and chop the parsley. Measure the wine and cream into separate jugs so they are ready to pour.

Melt 40g of the butter in a large, wide, lidded pot over medium heat until the foaming subsides, then add the shallots, bay leaves, and thyme. Sweat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until the shallots are completely soft and translucent but not coloured.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

Pour in 150ml of the wine and increase the heat to high. Let it bubble hard for 2 minutes until reduced by half, scraping the base of the pot.

Tip in all the mussels, pour the remaining 50ml of wine over the top, and clamp the lid on tightly. Steam over high heat for 4 minutes, shaking the pot once halfway through, until the mussels have opened.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mussels to a warmed serving bowl, discarding any that have not opened — they were not alive before cooking and are not safe to eat. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Reduce the heat to medium and pour the double cream into the remaining broth. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring, until the broth is lightly thickened.

Remove from the heat and swirl in the remaining 20g of cold butter to give the broth a glossy finish. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then stir through three-quarters of the chopped parsley.

Pour the finished broth over the mussels, scatter the remaining parsley on top, and serve immediately with plenty of crusty baguette.