Moules Marinière with a Crunchy Low-Carb Baguette

There is something undeniably satisfying about a classic bowl of Moules Marinière, especially when you can enjoy the full experience without compromising a low-carb approach.

By stripping back the heavy cream, this lighter, more traditional broth allows the bright, citrus-driven notes of the Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc to shine brilliantly alongside the natural salinity of the fresh mussels. Paired with a warm, freshly baked low-carb baguette, you get all the rustic comfort of tearing into crusty bread to soak up that vibrant, garlicky wine liquor, whilst keeping the residual sugars and overall carbohydrate count exactly where you want them.

Ingredients

For the Low-Carb 'Baguette'

• 150g almond flour
• 40g ground psyllium husk
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 225ml boiling water

For the Moules Marinière

• 1 kg fresh green-lipped mussels
• 45g unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 150ml Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc
• 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Bake the Baguette

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C (155°C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, psyllium husk, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add the wet: Add the egg whites and apple cider vinegar. Stir until combined (it will be thick).
4. Pour the boiling water: Pour the boiling water into the bowl whilst mixing continuously with a hand mixer for about 30 seconds. Do not overmix. The dough will firm up quickly as the psyllium absorbs the water.
5. Shape: Wet your hands slightly to prevent sticking, and mould the dough into a long baguette shape. Place it on the baking tray. Use a sharp knife to score a few diagonal lines across the top.
6. Bake: Bake for 50–60 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven. It should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Let it cool slightly before slicing—it will crisp up further as it rests.

Prepare the Mussels

1. Clean: Rinse the mussels under cold running water. Pull off any 'beards' (the hairy bits sticking out of the shell, using plyers is a good chefs trick) and scrub away any barnacles. Discard any mussels with broken shells, or any open ones that do not close tightly when given a sharp tap on the counter. 
2. Sauté the aromatics: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt half of the butter (about 20g) over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the minced garlic and cook for a further minute until fragrant.
3. Steam: Turn the heat up to high. Pour in the Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc and bring to a rapid boil. Tip all the cleaned mussels into the pot and immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid.
4. Cook: Let them steam for 1–2 minutes. Give the pot a good shake halfway through. The mussels are done when the shells have opened wide. I like to remove these immediately, as keeping them in whilst waiting for the last ones to open means they over-cook.  Discard any that remain firmly shut.

Finish the Sauce

1. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the opened mussels to a large serving bowl, leaving the flavourful wine broth in the pot.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk the remaining butter into the broth to give it a slightly glossy, rich finish. Stir in the chopped parsley. Taste and season with black pepper—the mussel liquor is naturally salty, so you rarely need to add extra salt.
3. Pour the clear, garlicky wine broth straight over the resting mussels.

Serve immediately, using thick slices of the warm, crunchy low-carb baguette with butter to soak up all the brilliant flavours at the bottom of the bowl. Pair with the fantastic Whitehaven Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.