Prepare the mussels: rinse them very well in cold water.

Take one mussel: if it is damaged, discard it straight away and if it is open, give it a vigorous tap. If it stays open, discard.

If a mussel is closed (or closes after tapping), wash it and scrape off with a knife any barnacles; remove “beard” that may be between the two shells.

Repeat the above with all the mussels.

Rinse all of them again.

In a big pan (big enough for all the mussels) melt the butter, add the shallots and cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes until translucent.

Pour in the wine, add the bay leaf and bring to boil.

Add the mussels, cover the pan tightly with a lid and steam on a high heat for 5 minutes, shake the pan vigorously 1-2 times in between.

Remove the bay leaf and any unopened mussels; add the chopped parsley, stir and serve straight away with baguette to mop up the sauce.