Recipe: Mussels with Garlic, Mustard, Rosemary and Cream

MUSSELS WITH GARLIC, MUSTARD, ROSEMARY AND CREAM

4 to 5 dozen cultivated mussels
2 teaspoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon or Chenin Blanc)
8 (4-inch) rosemary springs
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons coarse-grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Crusty bread

Rinse and, if necessary, debeard the mussels.

In a nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, just until they start to brown.

Add the cream and white wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until reduced by 1/4; you should have about 21/2 cups of liquid.

Add the mussels, rosemary, bay leaf and mustard, cover and cook until all of the mussels open, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and discard any mussels that do not open.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs. Serve the mussels in large warmed bowls with crusty bread to sop up the sauce.

Makes 6 servings as an appetizer, 4 as a main course
Adapted from source: One Fish, Two Fish, Crawfish, Bluefish: The Smithsonian Sustainable Seafood Cookbook by Carole Baldwin