French · Authentic-ish French
Moules Marinieres
529 kcal a serving, against 817 for the traditional version. That is 288 kcal off, or 35%, with 60.6g of protein. Serves 4. 20 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A massive pile of live mussels steamed quickly in a wide pot with dry white wine, chopped shallots and crushed garlic. Once the shells spring open, the mussels are scooped out. The remaining liquid is finished with a huge knob of butter and plenty of double cream to create a rich sauce. It's served with a warm baguette to mop up the bowl.
What changed, and what each change costs
50g of butter and 100g of double cream down to 10g of olive oil
The original recipe relies on dairy to thicken the wine and the natural mussel juice into a proper sauce. I drop the dairy completely. You just sweat the shallots in a tiny bit of olive oil, steam the mussels, and then boil the leftover liquor rapidly until it reduces.
What it costs you. You lose that cloudy, luxurious richness that only double cream provides. The reduced broth is much sharper, tasting aggressively of the sea rather than a dairy farm.
200g of white baguette down to absolutely zero
Mop bread is brilliant, but it's just a vehicle for soaking up cream and butter. Since there's no fat left in the bottom of this bowl, you don't need the bread. Grab a spoon and drink the reduced broth instead.
What it costs you. Carbohydrate joy. Eating a bowl of mussels without bread feels a bit naked at first, but you get over it quickly when you realise how good the broth tastes on its own.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 817 | 529 |
| Protein | 66.7g | 60.6g |
| Fat | 31.7g | 13.8g |
| Saturated fat | 14.5g | 2.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 52.5g | 25.8g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 8.2g | 11.5g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish French prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. molluscs, sulphites.
The method is in the book
A bright, sharp bowl of coastal French cooking, then. Not a rich, heavy stew, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. Boiling down the liquor concentrates the natural brine from the mussels and the acidity of the wine perfectly. I actually think it's an improvement on the traditional method. You taste the seafood clearly without a heavy blanket of cream getting in the way. It's loud and brilliant food. Grab a bowl and get your hands dirty.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish French, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback