This warm salad is rooted in the West Country. The use of cider in cooking in that part of the country adds so much depth to sauces and dressings – it is an excellent alternative to wine. Make the effort to search out some great ciders. The levels of sweetness or acidity vary greatly and can change the dish completely, so be sure to taste before you use.
Iceberg lettuce is underused and often viewed as a cheap flavourless salad leaf. When it’s used correctly, however, the crisp freshness of this great leaf can enhance a dish and balance soft and rich textures.
Serves 4
500g baby new potatoes, scrubbed
2 large leeks
vegetable oil for deep-frying
500g mussels, debearded and barnacles removed
150ml strong scrumpy cider
200ml rapeseed oil, plus extra for frying the leeks
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 Granny Smith apple
1 head of Iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped
50ml cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over a high heat. Add the potatoes and cook for 8–10 minutes, until tender. Drain the potatoes through a colander in the sink and leave to steam-dry.
Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil. Top and tail the leeks, then cut off the bottom third, which is mostly all white. Cut this white part in half lengthways, rinse well and then thinly slice. Drop the leek slices into the boiling water, stir and remove immediately with a slotted spoon. Leave to cool and dry on kitchen paper.
Heat enough oil for deep-frying in a deep-fat fryer or a heavy-based saucepan until it reaches 140°C. Add the sliced leeks and deep-fry for 2–3 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Drain well on kitchen paper and season with salt, then leave to one side.
Cut the remaining green parts of the leeks on a slant into lozenge shape. Rinse them in running cold water to remove any dirt and grit, but take care so they hold their shapes. Pat dry on kitchen paper and leave to one side until needed.
To cook the mussels, wash them in running cold water. Discard any mussels that float, any with cracked shells and any open ones that do not snap shut when tapped. Heat a large saucepan over a high heat. Add the mussels and the scrumpy, cover the pan and cook for 5–6 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells have opened. Strain the mussels, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
Pass the cooking liquid through a fine sieve lined with muslin into a small pan. Bring to the boil over a high heat and boil until the liquid reduces by half. When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove them from the shells and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the lozenge-shaped leeks to the pan and fry for 3–5 minutes until coloured on one side. Turn them over and then add the cooked new potatoes to the pan to warm through. Add the cooked mussels and gently stir, trying not to break anything up. Stir in the chives.
Grate about half the unpeeled Granny Smith apple directly into the pan and stir. This adds a lovely acidity and is well matched with the cider. Mix the reduced cooking liquid, cider vinegar and remaining 200ml rapeseed oil together to make a dressing, then add it to the pan.
Place the Iceberg lettuce into a large bowl. Add the mussel dressing and gently toss together. Serve immediately, whilst still warm, in individual bowls, garnished with the crispy leeks.