Many years ago, my mom, sister and I went to a restaurant in Las Vegas that had mussels in a cream sauce and, being a big fan of both seafood and creamy things, I knew I had to have it. I was like 14 or something and I was so amazed by how good the dish was, I sang its praises to the server and asked to speak to the Chef. This was well before I started actually cooking for myself by the way, so why I demanded to speak with the Chef, I don’t really know. The Chef came out, I was like ‘I’m obsessed with this dish, can you share the recipe’ and he sent me the recipe in an email right then and there. My wildest steamed mussels in cream sauce dreams had come true. I made the dish a few times when we returned home only for my sister to develop a shellfish allergy and for me to never make the recipe again. UNTIL NOW. This is not their exact recipe, it's since been lost to my now-deactivated first ever hotmail account, but I think it’s gotta be pretty close because my mouth memory says so. Please enjoy my take on Steamed Mussels in Cream Sauce.
Ingredients
1 bay PEI Mussels
4 cloves Garlic
2 Onions
1 small bunch Tarragon
2 Shallots
6 tbsp. Butter, divided
1 Cup White Wine, divided
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 tsp. Dijon
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt
Pepper
Directions
Start by making sure your mussels are clean and scrubbed.
Slice or dice your onions, garlic and shallots, however you prefer.
Next, we’ll make the cream sauce. In a pot, melt 3 tbsp. of butter and cook 1 onion until translucent. Add the tarragon, shallots, dijon, lemon juice and ½ of the white wine and simmer until reduced by half. Once reduced, add your heavy cream and simmer to reduce again. Once that’s done, strain and reserve the liquid.
Heat a tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat and add the remaining 3 tbsp. of butter. Add the other onion and your garlic and saute for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Add your mussels and cover for 1 minute. Next, add the rest of your white wine and your cream sauce. Give it a mix, cover and cook until the mussels open.
Serve with some fresh parsley and toasted bread to dip in the liquid.
That’s all!
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