Mussels Provencal with Saffron
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(Jill Churco)
Mussels make a quick and versatile dish that can impress your most finicky of guests. A tip on selecting the shellfish for freshness: Not all mussels with open shells are to be avoided. Squeeze the shell together and wait a few seconds. If the shell closes it’s alive. If it doesn’t close, it’s dead and should not be eaten.
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Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 lbs mussels,scrubbed and debearded
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}2-3 cloves garlic, smashed to paste
2 shallots,diced small
2 tablespoon olive oil
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}2 tablespoon butter
2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}1 generous pinch saffron threads
2 tablespoon heavy cream (or to taste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Preparation:
Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy bottomed pot.
Add the shallots and garlic and cook until shallots soften, about 5-7 minutes.
Turn the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and cook the mussels until all of them have opened, about 6 to 8 minutes, discard any that do not open.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon to a large bowl and cover loosely with foil.
Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer and whisk in the the cream and saffron. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and allow to simmer together for about 5 minutes.
Return mussels to the pot with the broth and serve immediately with crusty bread and chilled glass of white wine.