| 1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526 |
- steamed mussels with lemon-saffron sauce Bon Appétit | October 2002
- The name for this beautiful Bordelais dish is mouclade. Use small mussels to approximate the tiny, sweet variety cultivated just off the coast north of Bordeaux. What to drink: Baron Philippe de Rothschild 2000 Mouton Cadet Blanc.
- Makes 4 servings.
- ingredients
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche*
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 2 large shallots, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 generous pinch of saffron threads
- 40 mussels, scrubbed, debearded
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Fresh chives
- preparation
- Whisk crème fraîche and egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add Cognac and ignite with match. Let flames burn out; whisk in lemon juice and saffron. Set both mixtures aside.
- Place mussels in heavy large pot; pour in wine. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cover pot and cook until mussels open, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Using tongs, transfer mussels to baking sheet (discard any mussels that do not open). Remove top half of each mussel shell; divide mussels in bottom shells among 4 bowls. Tent with foil.
- Strain mussel cooking liquid from pot through sieve lined with damp paper towel into skillet with shallot mixture. Boil over medium-high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 3 minutes. Very slowly whisk hot liquid into crème fraîche mixture; return to same skillet. Stir over low heat just until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; season sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over mussels. Garnish with chives.
- * Sold at some supermarkets. If unavailable, heat 1 cup whipping cream to lukewarm (85°F). Remove from heat and mix in 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Cover and let stand in warm draft-free area until slightly thickened, 24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature of room. Refrigerate until ready to use.
|
