Home / Recipes / Smoked mussels in vinaigrette with cider poached leeks and seaweed soda bread.

Smoked mussels in vinaigrette with cider poached leeks and seaweed soda bread.

Darren Kennedy

Serves 2-4 | Irish/French | Warm starter/ main
Prep Time: 60 mins | Cooking Time: 60 mins | Total Time: 120 mins

This is a personal spin on one of my favourite French classics, Leeks “au Vinaigrette”. The addition of smoky Hederman Mussels give it lots of body and seaweedy soda bread is great to mop up their delicious vinaigrette. The leeks are poached until tender in Longueville House cider, which is then added to the sauce for the dish to give it a slightly boozy hum. This dish benefits from its simplicity and quality of ingredients, adding up to more than the sum of its parts.
Ingredients

400g Hederman Smoked Mussels in vinaigrette



450g leeks, cleaned and cut in half along the diameter



2 bottles Longueville House Cider



30g Parlsey Extra Virgin Olive Oil



Salt



Pepper 2



50g Wholemeal flour (I like Macroom Stoneground)



100g white flour (Littlemill)



5g Bicarb soda



2g Baking powder



250g Buttermilk



150g Whole milk



50g melted butter



5g Caster Sugar



20g Seaweed (dulse/kelp is good for this)



Equipment:



2 medium sized pots



Loaf tin Baking paper Mixing bowl



Wooden spoon



Sharp knife Scales


Methodology
SODA BREAD

The seaweed element can be fresh or dried. If using dried, soak it in hot water for a few mins first.

Pre heat the oven to 200C. Line an 8 inch loaf tin with baking paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine, both flours, salt, sugar, baking powder and soda, 10g chopped parsley 20g finely chopped seaweed. Stir in the melted butter, buttermilk and whole milk.

Stir really well and let rest for a couple mins.

Pour mix into the loaf tin and bake for 45–55 mins.

A skewer should come out clean and internal temperature of 92C at the core.

Once cooked, allow to cool out of the tin for at least 30 mins before cutting.

POACHED LEEKS

While your bread is baking, bring a largish pot to the boil with 1 bottle of Longueville House Cider to the boil.

Drop prepared leeks in and cover with a lid.

Turn down heat the medium and good for 8–10 mins, until a knife easily pierces the leek.

Remove the leeks and let cool. Once cooled, cut into chunky pieces.

THE SAUCE

Reduce the cider still in the pot by more than half.

Pour in double cream and reduce by half.

Add in your chopped leeks, mussels and remaining chopped parsley.

Quickly heat through to bring the sauce together and check the seasoning.

Serve piping hot with slices of soda bread and lots of Hederman smoked butter.

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