Fragrant Steamed Mussels In Vermouth With Herbs And Shallots Recipes

MUSSELS SAILOR STYLE (MOULES MARINIERE)

Steps:

• Place mussels in bowl and cover with cold water.
• Discard any that are open or cracked.
• Scrub under cold running water and remove beards.
• Melt butter in a large pot, stir in shallots and garlic and saute gently until soft.
• Add wine and bouquet garni.
• Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
• Add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.
• Add mussels and cover pot.
• Cook over high heat until mussels open.
• Remove mussels from pot with a slotted spoon, set aside (keep warm).
• Discard any mussels that did not open.
• Boil the remaining liquid (with bouquet garni) until reduced to half, then return mussels to the pan and heat through.
• Sprinkle with parsley and stir.
• Place mussels into a warmed serving dish and pour liquid over top.
• Serve.

MUSSELS WITH GARLIC AND FINES HERBES

Steps:

• Clean the mussels: Scrub them well under cold running water. Debeard them, if necessary, pulling out any wiry fronds coming through the seams of the shells.
• In a large pot or deep sauté pan, combine the white wine, half the shallot, and the bay leaf. Place the mussels on top and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat to steam open the mussels, 3 to 4 minutes. You may want to give them a stir after 2 minutes to disperse the heat evenly among the mussels. When the mussels have opened (if there are a few that don't, this is an indication that they are dead or bad - discard them), transfer them to four shallow bowls.
• Strain the cooking liquid, through either a coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth, into a clean pan, add the olive oil, remaining shallot, and garlic, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the mixture slightly; it will condense to an opaque liquid. Taste. If it's too salty, add a little water. Sprinkle the herbs and spoon the sauce over the mussels. Serve promptly, with a tangy baguette torn into large pieces, which you can use to soak up the broth when you're finished with the mussels.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH WINE AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Holding mussels under cool running water, scrub with a stiff sponge or vegetable brush, then debeard: grip the tough fibers extending from the shell and pull to remove. Discard beards.
• Steep saffron in wine for 10 minutes. (Saffron is soluble in water, not fat, so it won't release its color or flavor if added directly to the butter.) Meanwhile, melt butter over medium-high heat in a shallow stockpot. Once it's foamy, add shallots, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until shallots are transparent and garlic is soft, about 3 minutes, stirring every so often to keep garlic from scorching. Pour in wine and saffron, then add tomatoes and return to a simmer, stirring once or twice.
• Add mussels and cover tightly. Cook until all mussels open, about 6 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Discard any unopened mussels. If using wild mussels, strain broth through a cheesecloth-lined sieve to remove any sand, if necessary. Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle with parsley before ladling mussels and broth into bowls.

MUSSELS WITH THYME AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add shallots and saute' until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add bay leaves, thyme, vermouth, clam juice and cream.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.
• Add mussels, cover and simmer, discarding any mussels that do not open.
• Using tongs, evenly divide up the mussels between bowls.
• Season broth with salt and pepper and ladle over mussels.

AHOY THERE! MOULES MARINIèRES - FRENCH SAILOR'S MUSSELS

Steps:

• Place the live mussels in fresh water. Scrub and debeard the mussels (see the photos), discarding any that are open, broken or cracked.
• Fry the chopped onion and chopped garlic cloves (over medium heat) in a little butter (or oil) in the biggest saucepan you have. Add half of the finely chopped fresh herbs - I have used a mixture of parsley, oregano and tarragon. Season with black pepper, wait to season with salt to taste later.
• Add the white wine to the butter and herbs, and then tip in the freshly cleaned mussels - turn up the heat to high. Cover the pan and let the mussels steam for about 5 minutes. Shake the pan every minute or so to coat the mussels in the liquid.
• Take the pan off the heat and add the double cream or creme fraiche; then add of the remaining finely chopped herbs. Mix through thoroughly. That's it! Enjoy with crusty bread, frites and a chilled white wine -- divine!
• NB: Discard any mussels that don't open during cooking. (see photos).

STEAMED MUSSELS IN PERNOD BROTH

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan. When the oil is hot, sauté the fennel, onions and shallots for 2 minutes. Add the garlic. Remove the sauté pan from the heat and add the Pernod®. Place the sauté pan back on the heat and flame the vegetables for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the tomatoes and wine and bring the liquid to a simmer. Add the mussels and parsley, cover and steam the mussels until all of the shells have opened, about 4 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open their shell. Remove the mussels and let the broth cook for 2 minutes. Season the broth with salt and pepper, if needed. Remove the broth from the heat. Divide the mussels between two large shallow bowls. Spoon the broth over the mussels. Serve the mussels with the crusty bread.