Peroni Mussels Recipe

Clean mussels: discard any mussels with cracked shells or that do not close when tapped. Scrub shells and remove beards. Rinse well and set in a bowl in the refrigerator.

Remove casings from the spicy Italian sausage and crumble the meat into small pieces.

Cook sausage

Heat a large wide heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil. When hot, add crumbled spicy Italian sausage. Cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5–7 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer browned sausage to a plate, leaving rendered fat in the pot. If there is excessive fat, leave about 1 tablespoon in the pot and discard the rest.

Add butter to the pot. When melted, add diced onion and minced shallots. Sauté until translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Pour in the Peroni beer to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Allow the beer to simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly and cook off some alcohol.

Add the chicken or seafood stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Bring the liquid to a simmer.

Return the cooked sausage to the pot. Simmer the broth gently for 5 minutes to let flavors marry.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the cleaned mussels to the pot in a single layer as much as possible. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 4–6 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until the mussels open. Discard any mussels that remain closed after cooking.

Remove the pot from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mussels to a large serving bowl, leaving the cooking liquid in the pot.

Stir the heavy cream into the hot cooking liquid. Whisk in Dijon and whole grain mustard until smooth. Add lemon juice, and taste; adjust seasoning with the remaining salt and pepper as needed. Simmer the sauce over low heat for 1–2 minutes to thicken slightly—do not boil aggressively.

Return mussels and sausage to the pot or pour the mustard cream sauce over the mussels in the serving bowl. Toss gently to coat.

Sprinkle chopped parsley over the mussels and serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread to soak up the sauce.