FOOD:Flex your mussels in the kitchen with these rich and tasty treats, writes Domini Kemp
I LOVE THE TERM bonne femme. It sort of means good woman, good wife, good female of the house. It usually signifies a dish that is rustic, served in the same dish that it is cooked in, and which often contains mushrooms, stock, bacon and cream. From now on, all meals plonked on the table should be christened bonne femme, unless, of course, you happen to be a bloke. Soup bonne femme, toast and tea bonne femme and so on. No one will really know what you're on about and you can leave the intricacies of the dish a bit sketchy, plus it will sound great, especially if you say it in a French accent. This phrase can carry over to describe yourself: bonne femmeor bonne homme(which I made up), so all resumes can now be summarised in one sentence: Je suis une bonne femme, therefore I am.
Mussels are one of those ingredients that most of us associate with holidays in Sarkozy-ville, Gauloises and a bit of " je ne regrette rien" (which could also become part of the new bonne femme lingo). Unless you know how fresh they are, always eat mussels on the same day you buy them. The best way to prepare them is to carefully place the mussels into a sink full of cold water and discard any that stay open when tapped. Pull away their beards and give them a final couple of rinses to ensure a sand-free meal. When they are cooked, discard any that haven't opened.
I've included a recipe for banoffee pie, which is one of things that although a bit naff, is very tasty. It always reminds me of that chicken dish that used to be a favourite a million years ago, with parents of a certain age. It was made with a tin of Campbell's cream of chicken soup, loads of chicken breast, cheddar, broccoli and crisps
(I kid you not). Bizarre. Anyway, feel free to make this tart in a 24cm tart tin or little individual ones, which is what I did here. You can top the tart with sliced bananas, or if you want to be evil, fry some bananas in a bit of foaming butter, add a good sprinkle of sugar, then allow them to cool and place on top of the pies.
Mussels bonne femme (serves four)
This is very rich, so a little goes a long way. It is adapted slightly from a Gary Rhodes recipe.
75g butter, portioned into three 25g knobs
1 onion
2kg fresh mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
150ml white wine
1 teaspoon flour
100ml cream
2 egg yolks
Bunch of parsley and tarragon, roughly chopped
200g button mushrooms, finely sliced
Salt and pepper
Heat one of the 25g knobs of butter and sweat the onion until it is soft. Add the mussels and white wine, cover with a lid and cook on high, until the wine is boiling, giving the saucepan a shake every now and then. Once the mussels have opened (this should only take a few minutes), drain them over a bowl so you can keep the cooking liquor. Don't forget to chuck out any mussels that haven't opened. Once they have cooled, remove the mussels from their shells and set aside in a bowl.
Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve to get rid of any bits of grit and then pour this into a small saucepan. In a small cup, mix another 25g knob of butter with the flour, using the back of a spoon to make a paste. Add to the cooking liquor, turn up the heat and cook for a few minutes, while whisking. Don't let it burn, but you have to let the flour cook out. Remove from the heat and add the cream, egg yolks and the herbs. Whisk well.
Finally, heat the last knob of butter and fry the mushrooms, adding a bit more butter if necessary. Season well and then take them off the heat.
Mix the mushrooms with the mussels and put them into a casserole dish. Spoon the sauce over the top and cook under a hot grill until it is brown and bubbling. Serve with crusty bread and a big salad.
Banoffee Pie
This is a very quick version (once you've made the caramel) that doesn't even require pastry, but uses crushed biscuits, same as a cheesecake. Use any combination of biscuits.
1 tin sweetened condensed milk, pre-boiled (see below)
300g ginger nuts, digestives or hob nobs, crushed
150g melted butter, for the base
150g butter, for the caramel
150g soft brown sugar
3 bananas
50g butter, to caramelise the bananas
1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
250ml cream, whipped until stiff
Remove the label from the tin of sweetened condensed milk and place it in a saucepan (with a lid). Cover completely with water and bring up to the boil. Cook for two hours, in simmering water, making sure the water does not boil off, otherwise the cans might explode. Because this is a bit time consuming, boil a few at a time as they will keep indefinitely and then you always have the basis of a handy dessert ready to go. Remove the tins from the water and allow them to cool for at least four hours before opening them.
You can whiz the biscuits in a food processor or else crush them in a zip-lock plastic bag that you have sealed once all the air has been pressed out. Squash with a rolling pin or saucepan. Add the melted butter to the crumbs, mix well and press evenly onto the tart base or individual ramekins or pots.
Heat the 150g butter and 150g soft brown sugar in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Mix well and then add the contents of the tin of sweetened condensed milk. Mix well, and bring to the boil. Gently cook the caramel for a few minutes, then pour it onto the biscuit base. Chill for a few hours.
Heat the remaining butter in a non-stick frying pan until it is foaming. Slice the bananas, sprinkle them with the tablespoon of sugar and gently fry on both sides until golden brown. Allow to cool. To assemble, spread the cream on top of the toffee mixture and top with the caramelised banana pieces. Top with grated chocolate, if you want. dkemp@irish-times.ie