Mussels in Scrumpy

4 lb Mussels
1 sm Onion; peeled and finely chopped
2 Celery stalks; trimmed and finely chopped
1 Leek; trimmed and thinly sliced
1 Carrot; peeled and grated
1/2 ts Pepper
1/2 pt Dry or medium scrumpy


Scrub the mussels well under cold running water and remove the beards and any barnacles. Discard any open (dead) mussels.

Put the vegetables, pepper and scrumpy into a heavy lidded casserole, bring to the boil and cover and simmer for a few minutes until the vegetables are tender. Open the casserole, tip in the well rinsed mussels and put the lid back on. Give the casserole a vigorous shake or two to distribute the vegetables and seasoning. Then let the mussels steam for five minutes or so.

Serve from the pot with bread to mop up the juices. A dollop of clotted cream can be added to enrich the sauce.