New Zealand Mussel Recipe

Inspect and clean

Rinse mussels under cold water. Discard any mussels with cracked shells or that remain open after a firm tap. Using a brush or the back of a knife, scrub shells to remove debris and remove beards by pulling toward the hinge.

Steam mussels

In a large wide pot or Dutch oven, add 1 cup water and 1 cup dry white wine and bring to a vigorous simmer over medium-high heat. Add 2 pounds of cleaned mussels, cover, and steam for 4–6 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until most mussels have opened. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer opened mussels to a bowl and reserve the cooking liquid by straining through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a separate bowl. Discard any mussels that did not open.

Sauté aromatics

While mussels steam, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons minced shallot and sauté for 1–2 minutes until translucent. Add 1 stalk finely diced celery, 1/2 cup sliced leeks and 3 teaspoons minced garlic; cook 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant but not browned.

Add tomatoes and herbs

Add 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, and cook another 2 minutes until tomatoes begin to soften. Pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved mussel cooking liquid (or more to reach desired sauce volume) and simmer for 2 minutes to meld flavors.

Finish sauce

Lower heat to medium-low and stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream if using and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add lemon zest and the juice from 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Combine mussels and sauce

Add steamed mussels to the pan and gently toss to coat in the sauce, cooking 1–2 minutes just to reheat mussels and marry flavors. Sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley over the mussels and give a final gentle toss.

Serve

Ladle mussels and broth into shallow bowls with plenty of sauce. Serve immediately with crusty bread (4 slices) or boiled new potatoes to soak up the broth.