Rinse the mussels well in cold water and discard any that remain open when lightly squeezed.

Clean the mussels by removing their beards! This means pulling out the tough fibrous part that usually protrudes from each mussel shell.

Rinse well again and set aside while you prepare the sauce.

Heat the butter in a medium hot pan until it melts. The pan needs to be large enough to hold all the mussels and should preferably have a lid.

Peel and finely dice the onion and crush or thinly slice the garlic cloves.

Soften the onion and garlic in the butter over a medium heat until they turn translucent.

Add the white wine and bay leaves and turn the heat up so that the sauce is bubbling.

Add the mussels to the pan and cover for 3-4 minutes to allow them to steam. Shake the pan occasionally to ensure they are well coated with the sauce.

Discard any of the mussels that did not open during the cooking process.

Remove the bay leaves and spoon the mussels into 2 bowls with plenty of the sauce. Chop the parsley and sprinkle over the top to serve.