Steamed Mussels With White Wine Tarragon Shallots Butter And Grilled French Bread Food

MOULES MARINIèRES (FRENCH MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE SAUCE)

Steps:

• Clean and prep mussels: Put the mussels in a bowl of salted water (1 tablespoon salt per quart of water) for 10-15 minutes. Throw out any that are wide open or refuse to close when you handle them as these ones are likely dead. Looking over the closed mussels, see if any still have their beards (long hairy byssal threads which help anchor the mussel to surfaces) and pull them out, pulling slowly and strongly towards the hinge of the shell.
• Sauté shallots and garlic: Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the shallots and cook a couple minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. If you want your sauce to be a little thick, add a teaspoon or two of flour to the pan, stir to combine. (Otherwise skip the flour.)

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH LEEKS, GARLIC, THYME, WHITE WINE, AND BUTTER

Steps:

• Rinse the mussels under cold running water while scrubbing with a vegetable brush. Remove the stringy mussel beards with your thumb and index finger as you wash them. Discard any mussels with broken shells.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic, and thyme and cook until the vegetables cook down to a pulp, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels and give everything a good toss. Add the white wine. Cover and steam over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until the mussels open. Stir occasionally so that all the mussels are in contact with the heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and a drizzle of olive oil to the sauce remaining in the pot and swirl to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

STEAMED MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Place shallot, onion, wine, butter, and vinegar in a large heavy pot. Add mussels, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook, gently shaking pot once or twice, until mussels open, 3-5 minutes (discard any mussels that don't open).
• Set a strainer lined with a double layer of cheesecloth over a bowl; set aside. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mussels to a large bowl. Pour mixture in pot through prepared strainer. Season broth with pepper and pour over mussels. Sprinkle with parsley.

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.