Mussels with Tripel Karmeliet

 

Mussels split the crowd. There are those (like myself) who love them so much that they evangelise about them to such a level that they come boring and those who instantly pull a gruesome face when their name is mentioned. They are very quick to cook and are a great vehicle for any number of flavours to be added from the classic wine and cream (below) to sweet spicy hot flavours from south east Asia. If you wish to find a culture that adores the mussel then you need to go to Belgium where it is venerated with a genuine zeal. I was tempted to mussels cooked in beer which is a classic but decided to go with what I know!

• 1 Kg Mussels
• 2 shallots (finely chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (very finely chopped)
• 1 glass white wine
• 1 splash of double cream
• A little butter
• 1 small handful of parsley (chopped)
• 1 large hunk of bread

Pop the mussels in a bowl of cold water, any that do not close when tapped you should discard. Make sure you have removed their beards (the stringy stuff that they attach themselves to rocks and ropes with) a sharp pull should do it. 

Melt the butter in a large pan and add the shallots, cook until they start to soften and then add the garlic cook for a few more minutes then add the wine, allow it to come to the boil, carefully tip in the mussels and cover. Cook over a high heat for 4 minutes, giving the pan a shake once the middle of this time. Spoon out the mussels into a bowl. (Discard any, at this point which have not opened). 

Put the pan with all its juices back on the heat and boil hard for 1 minute then add the cream stir in and pour over the mussels. Serve with Belgium tripel and a hunk of bread.

The Match

The terms dubbel, tripel and even quad have no legal meaning though they do tend to follow a very particular style. Tripels tend to be light in colour, strong and  rich. Karmeliet is a monastery or abbey style beer. This means that the style or origins of this beer are in the brewing tradition of the monasteries. They are not Trappist beers which have to be largely brewed by Monks. 

This is not a beer to be gulped down, a degree of respect is required. The Belgium yeast profile is very much in evidence ( spicy and fruity on the nose) but it is backed up with a rich malty spine on the palate. Hops are just about there and alcohol is very present. The sweetness matches the mussels beautifully and the richness of the beer stands up very well to the creaminess of the sauce.