Store mussels in an open bag or colander at the bottom of the fridge, covered lightly with damp kitchen paper. Clean mussels in a colander set under running water to rinse off grit. One at a time, tap each mussel sharply on the work surface. Discard any that haven’t closed after 30sec. Pull away beards and scrape off barnacles with a cutlery knife.
Step 2
Heat butter in a large, deep pan with a tight-fitting lid. Fry shallots gently for 5-10min until softened. Add garlic and brown sugar, stirring for 2min until fragrant and ensuring they don’t catch.
Step 3
Add bay leaves and Guinness, bring to the boil, turn down and simmer gently for 4min. Add the mussels, then cover and cook on a high heat, shaking the pan vigorously every so often for 5min until they have all just opened.
Step 4
Immediately remove from the heat, add cream and nearly all the parsley to the pan. Stir, then spoon mussels and cooking liquor into deep serving bowls. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve with soda bread to mop up the juices.
A crack team of highly skilled food content producers, the GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurstis our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time.
