A signature dish at Le Plancha Monkstown. Owner and Chef Andrew Lawlor drew from his experiences travelling across France and Spain to develop this Mussels Recipe cooked with tomato, chilli and white wine.
Ingredients:
– 1 kg of mussels
– 1 chilli (seeds removed)
– 2 cloves of garlic
– 1 medium onion
– 300g chopped tomatoes (tinned are fine to use)
– 1 tsp of chopped tarragon
– 1 tsp chopped thyme
– 1 tsp of smoked paprika
– 1 tsp of sugar
– 1 tsp sherry vinegar
– 150ml white wine
– Salt & pepper to taste
– Lemon to garnish
Method:
1. First make the tomato sauce by sweating the onions in a little oil on a medium heat with the thyme until soft.
2. Add the paprika, sugar, sherry vinegar and cook until the vinegar has completely evaporated.
3. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for five minutes and then put to one side.
4. Finely chop the garlic & chilli and add to a cold wide bottom pot with a little oil and place on a medium heat.
5. When the chilli & garlic start to sizzle, add the mussels, white wine & tomato sauce.
6. Cook with a lid on top until all mussels are open. Discard any mussels that don’t open.
7. Finish with the chopped tarragon, salt and pepper. Serve with a slice of lemon and enjoy!
Tip:
– To guarantee the freshness of your mussels, ensure the shells are closed before cooking.
Le Plancha was opened in 2011 in Blackrock by Chef Andrew Lawlor and Eimear Brannelly and in 2016 it reloacted to Monkstown. Andrew has worked as a chef for over twenty years and his travels through France, Portugal & Spain have greatly influenced Le Plancha.
Their emphasis is on making everything where possible in house from their freshly baked bread, homemade ice cream and their crackers for cheese.