When I lived in NYC, one of my favorite restaurants was a French brasserie in SoHo called Balthazar. And my favorite dish there was Moules à la Marinière – steamed Mediterranean style mussels in a savory, creamy broth. This is Balthazar’s recipe for Moules à la Marinière at home. Be sure to save any extra broth and use bread or frites to soak it up.
Ingredients:
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
5 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the bias
4 sprigs of thyme
pinch of kosher salt
1 cup dry white wine
2 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
4 Tbsp crème fraîche
2 lbs. Fresh mussels, preferably Prince Edward Island, cleaned and rinsed
a handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
bread, such as a baguette or any kind you like, grilled or heated just before serving
Method
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over low heat.
- Add the shallots, garlic, celery and thyme. Gently sauté for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft but not browned.
- Add the wine, pepper, and crème fraîche; raise the heat to high.
- Once the liquid comes to a boil, add the mussels, stir gently, and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the mussels open.
- Add the parsley and stir gently.
- Serve in large bowls (remembering to discard any unopened mussels), with either crusty bread or French fries.
Feature Image: Photo courtesy of Paul Einerhand on Unsplash.
