Moules Marinier

2 kg live mussels
300ml white wine
5 banana shallots, finely chopped
Small sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Freshly ground pepper

Scrub the mussels and remove the beards.  Discard any that are open.  Rinse under running water.

Pour the wine into a large pan or a wok the has a lid.  Add the shallots thyme and bay leaf, season with pepper.

Bring to the boil, add the mussels, cover with a tight lid and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, over a medium heat for 4 minutes until the mussels have opened.

 Remove the thyme and bay leaf and any unopened mussels.

Serve the mussels in bowls with a little of the cooking liquor poured over, garnish with the chopped parsley and eat with some crusty bread.