Mussels en papillote with garlic baguette and flageolet beans

This seafood main steams mussels in baking parchment parcels with tomatoes, ginger, chilli and white wine. The slow-cooked flageolet beans make it a generous meal, and the garlic baguette is there for soaking up the juices. Rustic yet elegant, mussels en papillote brings together sweet tomato, fragrant ginger and briny wine into a fragrant, steaming broth that pairs beautifully with creamy beans and crisp, garlicky bread.

By Jess Shadbolt
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes

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The beans and mussels provide protein and fibre, while tomatoes and basil add vitamins, though the baguette and butter bring refined carbs and fat. The dish is balanced and seafood-focused, making it a good choice for a satisfying, fresh meal.

Estimated nutrition (per serving, 4): kcal ~620–720, fat ~18–24g, saturated fat ~5–7g, carbs ~62–74g, sugars ~10–14g, fibre ~8–12g, protein ~28–34g.

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Method

Cook flageolet beans (cook: 2–3 hours + 30 mins cool)

1. Drain and rinse soaked beans. To make the beans, drain the soaked flageolet beans in a colander and rinse well under cold water. Rinsing removes excess starch before cooking.
2. Cover beans with water and add aromatics. Put the beans in a wide, heavy saucepan and cover with cold water so it sits about 5cm/2in above the beans. Add the sage, garlic bulb, tomato, chilli and a generous drizzle of olive oil. This builds a creamy, flavoursome base for the slow-cooked flageolet beans.
3. Cover with parchment and simmer. Scrunch up a sheet of baking parchment large enough to cover the pan, then flatten it out and lay it directly on the surface of the liquid. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, skimming off any foam that rises. The parchment helps the beans cook gently and evenly.
4. Simmer until tender over 2–3 hours. Once the cooking liquid is mostly clear, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a gentle simmer for 2–3 hours, topping up with small splashes of water as needed, until the beans are tender. Slow cooking makes the flageolet beans creamy and silky.
5. Finish beans in the oven. Preheat the oven to 250C/230C Fan/Gas 9. Transfer the pan to the oven for 10 minutes to finish plumping the beans. Oven finishing gives the flageolet beans a soft, even texture.
6. Season and cool in liquor. Remove the pan from the oven and season the cooking liquor generously with salt. Leave the beans to cool in their cooking liquor for at least 30 minutes so they absorb the seasoning. Remove and discard the garlic, sage and chilli. This sweet, creamy flageolet beans base is perfect for mussels en papillote.

Prepare tomatoes for mussels en papillote (prep: 10 mins)

1. Blanch and peel tomatoes. For the mussels en papillote, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Score the top and bottom of each tomato with a cross and prepare a large bowl of iced water. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water and keep them submerged. After 10 seconds, lift out with a slotted spoon and drop into iced water. Peel and discard the skins when cool enough to handle. Peeling gives the mussels en papillote a smooth texture.
2. Extract juice and tear tomatoes. Set a sieve over a medium bowl. Halve the tomatoes horizontally and squeeze each half over the sieve to catch the seeds and juices. Press the seeds to extract juice, then discard the seeds. Tear the tomatoes into mussel-sized pieces over the bowl of tomato juice. This creates a soft, juicy tomato base for the mussels en papillote.

Cook tomato mixture (cook: 5 mins)

1. Warm garlic, ginger and chilli. Put the finely chopped garlic, olive oil, ginger, dried chilli and a pinch of salt in a large, heavy pan. Warm over a medium heat for about 1 minute, until the garlic starts to bubble. This releases aromatic flavours for the mussels en papillote.
2. Simmer with tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, stir together and season with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature. This mild, fragrant tomato base coats the mussels en papillote beautifully.

Assemble mussel parcels (prep: 10 mins)

1. Preheat oven and cut parchment. Put a baking tray on the centre shelf and another on the top shelf. Cut 8 rectangles of baking parchment, each about 30x38cm/12x15in. Cut 4 pieces of kitchen string, each about 12cm/4½in long. Lay 2 sheets of parchment crosswise to form an X inside a shallow soup bowl. The bowls support the parchment while you assemble the mussels en papillote.
2. Check mussels are safe. Discard any mussels with broken shells and any open mussels that don’t close when tapped. This ensures the mussels en papillote are fresh and safe.
3. Layer tomatoes, mussels and wine. Divide about one-quarter of the tomato mixture between the parcels. Add one-quarter of the mussels and 125ml/4fl oz white wine to each parcel, then spoon the remaining tomato mixture over the top. This layers the mussels en papillote with juicy, aromatic flavours.
4. Top with basil, oil and butter. Top each parcel with a few basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil and a piece of butter. The butter and basil add richness and freshness to the mussels en papillote.
5. Tie and roast parcels. Bring the corners of the parchment up and around the mussels. Gather the paper together and tie firmly with kitchen string. Put the parcels on the hot baking tray and roast for 10 minutes. Check one parcel carefully; if the mussels have opened, remove them. If not, cook longer. Discard any mussels that remain closed. Steaming in parchment gives the mussels en papillote a tender, steamed finish.

Toast garlic baguette (cook: 5 mins)

1. Cut and season baguette. For the garlic baguette, snap the baguette in half across the middle. Cut each piece in half lengthways to make 4 large pieces. Put the bread on a baking tray, cut-side up. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Toast on the top shelf for about 5 minutes, or until golden and crisp. This gives the mussels en papillote a crispy, garlicky side.
2. Rub with garlic. Rub the cut garlic cloves over the cut sides of the toasted bread. The garlic adds a fresh, aromatic finish to the garlic baguette.

Serve together

1. Plate mussels en papillote with beans and baguette. Serve the mussel parcels in shallow bowls with the garlic baguette and flageolet beans alongside. The creamy beans, crisp bread and steamed mussels en papillote make a generous, satisfying seafood meal.

Helpful tip: The flageolet beans can be cooled completely and stored in their cooking liquor in the fridge for up to 4 days. Save the bean cooking liquor for soups or purées to use its creamy flavour elsewhere.