Bangs Island Mussels Recipe

Clean mussels

Rinse mussels under cold water, discard any with broken shells or that do not close when tapped. Remove beards by pulling them toward the hinge. Place cleaned mussels in a bowl in the refrigerator while you prepare the aromatics.

Sauté aromatics

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Once butter foams, add minced shallots and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2–3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Deglaze with cider

Increase heat to medium-high and pour in 1 cup Absolem cider (or dry white wine). Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Let the cider reduce by about one third, 2–3 minutes, to concentrate flavor.

Add stock and herbs

Add 1 cup chicken or seafood stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Season with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Bring the liquid to a steady simmer.

Cook mussels

Add the cleaned mussels to the pot, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and steam for 4–6 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that remain closed after cooking.

Finish broth

Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to add shine and richness. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. If you prefer a slightly thicker or creamier broth, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and whisk it into the crème fraîche emulsion (see next section) before returning to the mussels.

While mussels steam, combine 1 cup crème fraîche, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth and slightly loosened. If the mixture is too thick to swirl into the broth, whisk in 2–4 tablespoons of the reserved warm mussel cooking liquid (or warm cider/stock) until it reaches a silky, pourable consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or lemon as needed.

To marry flavors, spoon or whisk half of the emulsion into the pot with the mussels and gently stir to coat shells and meld flavors. Reserve remaining emulsion at the table for individual finishing.

Prepare bread

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the French bread into 1/2-inch slices. Brush each slice lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil (or a light drizzle) and place on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until golden and crisp at the edges, about 6–8 minutes. For garlic toast variation, rub a cut clove of garlic over the warm toast.

Plate mussels

Ladle mussels and generous amounts of the broth into shallow bowls. Drizzle remaining crème fraîche emulsion over individual bowls as desired or pass at the table. Sprinkle chopped parsley and an optional crack of black pepper over the mussels.

Serve

Serve immediately with toasted French bread for dipping. Encourage diners to spoon up the cider–crème fraîche broth and soak the bread. Leftover broth can be reserved and refrigerated for up to 2 days.