serves 4–6

ingredients
450g/1lb new potatoes
900g/2lb black mussels
175ml/6fl oz dry white wine
1 small onion, sliced
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves pinch of saffron threads
4 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley salt and ground black pepper

• Put the potatoes in a pan of cold, lightly salted water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and leave to cool.
• Scrub the mussels with a stiff brush and pull out the hairy beards. Discard any broken mussels, or open ones that don’t close when tapped on the work surface. Rinse well. Put the wine, onion, thyme, bay leaves
and half the mussels in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and cook over a high heat, stirring once, for 4–5 minutes until the mussels start to open. Remove the mussels as they open (discard any that remain
closed). Cook the remaining mussels the same way and leave to cool.
• Reserve 125ml/4fl oz of the mussel cooking liquid and strain. While it is still warm, stir in the saffron. Whisk in the sour cream and season well.
• Cut the potatoes into quarters. Remove the mussels and discard the shells. Combine the potatoes and mussels in a bowl, and add the saffron dressing. Sprinkle with the parsley, and serve immediately.