Steamed mussels–is there any other dish that can be satisfying with so few ingredients? Essentially, you just need high quality mussels and a little liquid to steam them in, like white wine or beer. Of course, you can also doll up your mussels with any number of accoutrements, from garlic and parsley to miso paste and bok choy. I’m always happy to cook something that helps utilize leftover ingredients and this is a great way to do it.
Mediterranean mussels are featured in this recipe because they are at their seasonal peak at this time of the year. With their plump, robust meats, you can be assured that this is a hearty meal, not bird food. Blue cheese and cream give this dish a decidedly French flair; you might be whisked off to Normandy after a bite! You can serve this with a loaf of crusty baguette to round out the meal.
Element Seafood offers rope-cultured Mediterranean mussels, which means the mussel is suspended in water and never touches the ocean bottom, ensuring that there’s no sand or grit in the product. It also means the mussel shells will be clean and require no scrubbing. For more info on purchasing Mediterranean mussels, just give our sales team a call.
Creamy Mediterranean Mussels with Blue Cheese
Adapted from Serious Eats
Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main course
1 cup beer or dry white wine
2 lb Mediterranean mussels, cleaned and debearded
2 shallots, diced
8 stems thyme, or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup heavy cream
Rinse the mussels and discard any that are open and don’t close when tapped lightly. To remove the beards (strands of black threads from the side of the mussel), gently tug on the beard to pull it out.
Put the beer or wine in a large pot and turn the heat on high. When the liquid is boiling, add the shallots, thyme, blue cheese and mussels. Cover the pot and toss the mussels occasionally. Steam them until they are open, then add the cream and remove from heat. Serve in bowls with slices of bread to sop up the leftover mussel broth.