Salt Factory Mussels Recipe

inspect and clean

Rinse mussels under cold running water. Discard any with broken shells or that do not close when tapped. Use a small knife to remove the beard from each mussel and scrub shells if needed. Place cleaned mussels in a bowl and season with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper; set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the sauce (no more than 30 minutes).

Bring a large wide sauté pan or Dutch oven to medium heat; you'll use this same pot to steam the mussels after preparing the sauce.

roast garlic and tomatoes

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the unpeeled garlic cloves and halved tomatoes with 2 tbs olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast 20–25 minutes until garlic is soft and tomatoes are blistered and caramelized. Remove from oven and let cool slightly; squeeze garlic from skins and reserve.

saute and deglaze

Meanwhile, heat 1 tbs olive oil in the large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp chopped chipotle pepper and 1 tbs tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring, to bloom the paste. Carefully add the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits, and simmer 2 minutes to reduce slightly.

blend sauce

Transfer roasted tomatoes and squeezed garlic to a blender or use an immersion blender in the pan. Add the wine/paste mixture, 1/2 cup stock, 1 tsp sherry or red wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Blend until smooth (or leave slightly chunky if preferred). Taste and adjust seasoning — add more chipotle for heat or a pinch more sugar if overly acidic.

Return blended sauce to the large sauté pan and warm gently over medium-low heat until simmering lightly, about 2–3 minutes.

steam mussels in sauce

Increase heat to medium-high so the sauce is simmering. Add the cleaned mussels to the pan, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and steam 4–6 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway through, until mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that remain closed after cooking.

finish sauce

Remove lid and stir in 2 tbs unsalted butter and 1 tbs fresh lime juice to loosen and gloss the sauce. Taste and adjust salt/acid if needed. If sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered 1–2 minutes to concentrate flavors.

garnish and serve

Turn off heat, sprinkle chopped cilantro and optional chile flakes over the mussels. Transfer mussels and sauce to shallow bowls or serve directly from the pan with crusty bread for dipping. Serve immediately.