Spelt tabbouleh with mussels, raisins and mint

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 cups (7 oz./200 g) spelt
• 1 lb. 5 oz. (600 g) fresh mussels in the shell
• 2 tablespoons (2/3 oz./20 g) raisins
• 1 cucumber
• 1 lemon
• 2 shallots
• 1 small bunch parsley
• 1 small bunch mint
• 4 teaspoons (20 ml) Passedat olive oil*
• Salt, pepper

For the marinière (for cooking the mussels)

• 1 small bunch thyme
• 1 onion
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) dry white wine

Directions

1Put the spelt in a pan with cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes. Drain, allow to cool, and reserve.

2Rinse the mussels thoroughly under cold running water. Discard any that are open but do not close when their shells are firmly tapped.

3Make the marinière. Wash the bunch of thyme. Peel and slice the onion and put it in a large pan with the wine and thyme. Place the mussels on top, cover the pan, and set over a high heat. When all the mussels have opened, remove from the heat. Shell the mussels, allow to cool, and reserve the mussel meat in the refrigerator when cooled.

4Soak the raisins in warm water to cover. Peel the cucumber, cut in two lengthways, scoop out the seeds, and cut the flesh into small cubes. Juice the lemon and peel and chop the shallots finely.

5Remove the stalks from the parsley and mint and roughly chop all the leaves together. Drain the raisins.

6Put the spelt and the mussels in a large bowl and add the cucumber, raisins, herbs, and shallot. Season with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Carefully stir all the ingredients together with a large spoon and chill for 1 hour before serving.