The nearest place I could hope to get fresh mussels from is in the Victoria Centre market in Nottingham where they sell some excellent Shetland Isle mussels loose. So my intention to go to town this morning to get half a kilo to cook and adorn some pasta decorated with ripped basil leaves was slightly marred by the cost factor. Not that the mussels are expensive at £3.75 a kilo but the additional travel costs would be another £4 in bus fares. That plus the time going into town and back - one and half hours - put me off.
I thought about the alternatives and wondered if my local Co-Operative store might have a packet of cooked mussels without the shells. On looking I found a packet of reduced -in shells- cooked Scottish mussels in a white wine sauce for £1.09. Actually the white wine sauce that came with the small pack of mussels was quite nice with the pasta.
All in all a simple inexpensive lunch cooked under half an hour and served elegantly with a chilled glass of Chardonnay.
3 comments:
Meals always seem to taste better when they are a bargain. It looks delicious, apart from the type of pasta, which I won't eat because it's curly. I'd use penne.:-)
Well done Phil for finding a real bargain - again.
We would probably have had them with some oven chips but pasta is a good idea, will try that next time.
Karenjane: You have inspired me to buy some penne. I'm not sure there is any taste difference between that and curly but the shape is somehow more satisfying to eat.
Jean: Always on the look out for bargains and I love mussels - preferably fresh though.
Post a Comment