The season for mussels is in the months with an ‘R’ but nowadays the mussel season has shifted a little and the ‘new’ mussels are already perfect to eat in summer.
Scrub the mussels well under cold water and pull out the beards by gripping them and pulling towards the hinge-end of the mussel. Discard any open or broken shells.
Sweat the onions, celery and shallots with the butter for a minute in a large stock pot.
Increase the heat and add the mussels, the garlic, the bouquet garni and the white wine with some freshly cracked white pepper.
Cook with a lid on for 2 minutes and start shaking the pan to move the mussels around. All are cooked when the mussels are open.
Stir in the parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
Do not add salt to the mussels. They will be naturally salty if they are fresh.
Fresh mussels should look wet and smell like the ocean, salty and clean. If a funny smell appears or if many of them are open already then don’t buy them.
The leftover mussel jus or broth can be sieved and used for other preparations such as velouté, mouclade and more.