Steamed Mussels with Lemon-Saffron Sauce

Name: Steamed Mussels with Lemon-Saffron Sauce
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 2 Tbsps butter; 2 Tbsps Cognac or brandy; 118 milliliters crème fraîche; 237 milliliters dry white wine; 2 larges egg yolks; 4 servings Fresh chives; 3 Tbsps fresh lemon juice; 40 mussels, scrubbed, debearded; 1 pinch generous pinch of saffron threads; 2 larges shallots, finely chopped

Steamed Mussels with Lemon-Saffron Sauce is a gluten free, primal, and pescatarian recipe with 4 servings. One portion of this dish contains roughly 12g of protein, 14g of fat, and a total of 271 calories. This recipe covers 20% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. It works well as a reasonably priced hor d'oeuvre. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes around 45 minutes. Head to the store and pick up butter, mussels, egg yolks, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the saffron threads you could follow this main course with the Saffron Ice Cream as a dessert.

Instructions

Whisk crème fraîche and egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat.

Ingredients you will need

Creme Fraiche

Egg Yolk

Butter

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Whisk

Bowl

Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Shallot

Remove skillet from heat.

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add Cognac and ignite with match.

Ingredients you will need

Cognac

Let flames burn out; whisk in lemon juice and saffron. Set both mixtures aside.

Ingredients you will need

Lemon Juice

Saffron

Equipment you will use

Whisk

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.

Ingredients you will need

Mussels

Wine

Equipment you will use

Pot

Remove from heat. Using tongs, transfer mussels to baking sheet (discard any mussels that do not open).

Ingredients you will need

Mussels

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Tongs

Remove top half of each mussel shell; divide mussels in bottom shells among 4 bowls. Tent with foil.

Ingredients you will need

Mussels

Pasta Shells

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Aluminum 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.

Ingredients you will need

Creme Fraiche

Shallot

Mussels

Sauce

Equipment you will use

Paper Towels

Frying Pan

Sieve

Whisk

Pot

Remove from heat; season sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over mussels.

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Salt And Pepper

Mussels

Sauce

Garnish with chives.

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Chives

* Sold at some supermarkets. If unavailable, heat 1 cup whipping cream to lukewarm (85°F).

Ingredients you will need

Whipping Cream

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.

Ingredients you will need

Buttermilk

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings:

2Tbsps

butter 2Tbsps

Cognac or brandy 118milliliters

crème fraîche 237milliliters

dry white wine 2larges

egg yolks 4servings

Fresh chives 3Tbsps

fresh lemon juice 40

mussels, scrubbed, debearded 1pinch

generous pinch of saffron threads 2larges

shallots, finely chopped

Recommended wine: Chardonnay, Muscadet, Riesling

Shellfish on the menu? Try pairing with Chardonnay, Muscadet, and Riesling. Buttery chardonnay is great for scallops, shrimp, crab, and lobster, while muscadet is a classic pick for mussels, oysters, and clams. If you've got some spice in your shellfish, a semi-dry riesling can balance out the heat. The Santan Ema Reserve Chardonnay with a 4.3 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 14 dollars per bottle.