Mussels With Shallots And Tarragon Food

CLASSIC FRENCH MUSSELS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels, wine, cream, butter, and parsley and season well with salt. Give it a good stir, cover the pot, and cook until mussels open and are cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Divide the mussels and the juices between 2 bowls and serve with the crusty bread.

MUSSELS WITH SHALLOTS AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Scrub the mussels well in several changes of water, scrape off the beards, and rinse the mussels. In a 2-quart microwave-safe round glass casserole with a lid combine the wine, the shallots, the zest, the fennel seeds, and the tarragon and microwave the mixture, covered, at high power (100%) for 3 minutes. Stir in the mussels and microwave the mixture, covered, at high power, stirring once every minute and transferring any mussels that are wide open to a bowl and keeping them warm, for 2 1/2 to 4 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels. Return the mussels to the casserole, sprinkle them with the onion, and drizzle them with the oil. Let the mussels stand for 1 minute.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH PASILLA PEPPER CREAM, SHALLOTS AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the pasilla pepper on a pie tin and toast in preheated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the cream to one short boil. Lightly crumble the pasilla pepper and add to warm cream along with paprika. Stir to combine, set aside to steep for about 20 minutes. Place the infused cream mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer, discard the pepper pulp and reserve the pepper cream. In a large acid resistant pot with a tight fitting lid, combine the shallots, garlic, wine and clam juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce by half, about 10 minutes. Add the mussels. Cover the pot and cook over high heat until the mussels open, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the pasilla cream, tarragon and chives. Serve in 4 individual bowls.

MUSSELS WITH CORN, CHERRY TOMATOES, AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook shallot, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine and reduce mixture by half. Add tomatoes and corn and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add mussels to pot and cook, covered, until shells have opened, 4 to 5 minutes. (Discard any unopened shells.)
• Stir in tarragon. Drizzle toast with oil and serve with mussels. Garnish with tarragon leaves.

MUSSELS WITH AQUAVIT, CREAM, AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Throw out any mussels with cracked shells or that did not close when you scrubbed them.
• Heat the butter over medium heat in a pot just large enough to hold the mussels. Sauté the shallots and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes. Add half the tarragon, the thyme, vinegar, fennel seeds, aquavit, and mussels. Increase the heat to medium-high. Cover and let steam for 6 to 7 minutes, until the mussels have opened. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a large serving bowl; discard any that did not open.
• Add the cream to the cooking juices and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, until slightly reduced. Season with salt and a little more minced garlic, if desired. Pour the cooking juices over the mussels, sprinkle with the rest of the tarragon, and serve.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH TARRAGON CREAM

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the chopped carrot, onion, and celery, and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, clean the mussels by rinsing them under the cold tap. Make sure all the shells are tightly closed and discard any that don't shut when tapped. Add the mussels to the pan with the white wine, cover, and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and let the mussels steam away for 5-10 minutes, or until they've all opened. Discard any mussels that have remained closed.
• Stir through the cream, tarragon, lemon juice and add a couple of grinds of black pepper. Heat the mussels and sauce through and serve along with some crusty bread.

MUSSELS WITH SHALLOTS AND THYME

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sautéuntil softened, about 10 minutes. Add thyme, bay leaves, wine, clam juice and cream; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until mixture is reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Add mussels, cover and simmer until mussels open, about 7 minutes; discard any mussels that do not open. Using tongs, divide mussels among bowls. Season broth with salt and pepper. Ladle broth over mussels.

FRAGRANT STEAMED MUSSELS IN VERMOUTH WITH HERBS AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Melt the butter with the olive oil in a very large saucepan (one that has a matching lid).
• Add the finely minced garlic and pink shallots and cook over a gentle heat until they are soft but not coloured, for about 5 minutes.
• Add the tarragon, parsley, salt and black pepper, sweat together for about 1 minute.
• Add the vermouth and wine and then tip in the cleaned mussels - give them a good stir and then put the lid on the saucepan and turn up the heat.
• Steam the mussels for about 2 to 8 minutes, this depends on the size of the mussels and if they are at room temperature or chilled; steam them until the shells have opened up.
• Serve the mussels in a large bowl with the cooking liquor poured over the top, and discard any mussels that have not opened up.
• Allow 500g per person for a main meal, with bread and frites.
• Make sure there is a bowl on the table to collect the empty mussel shells, plus plenty of napkins!