Seafood Starter Recipe

Clean and check shellfish

Rinse mussels and clams under cold running water. Scrub shells with a brush to remove debris. Remove mussel beards by pulling toward the hinge. Discard any shellfish with cracked shells or that remain open when tapped (discard if they do not close). Keep shellfish refrigerated until ready to cook.

Sweat aromatics

In a large wide pot or deep skillet with a lid, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the minced shallot and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until softened and translucent but not browned. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Deglaze with wine

Pour in the 1 cup dry white wine and raise heat to medium-high. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the wine to a brisk simmer and reduce by about half, approximately 4–6 minutes.

Add stock and cream

Add 1 cup low-sodium stock and simmer another 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Simmer gently 1–2 minutes to combine; the sauce should be slightly thickened but still brothy.

Season and finish

Stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt (adjust to taste), 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar if using, and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Remove from heat and keep warm while cooking shellfish.

Combine shellfish and sauce

Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add the cleaned mussels and clams to the pot in an even layer. Pour any reserved wine or a splash of water if the sauce has reduced too much—there should be about 1/2 to 1 cup of liquid in the pot to generate steam.

Steam until open

Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 5–7 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice during cooking to redistribute the shellfish. Check after 5 minutes: most mussels and clams should have opened. Continue cooking up to 8 minutes if needed. Discard any that remain closed after cooking.

Finish

Remove the pot from heat. Spoon the shellfish and broth into shallow bowls. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with additional salt, lemon juice, or pepper as needed. Sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley and optional chopped chives.

Serve immediately with sliced crusty bread for dipping and lemon wedges on the side. Encourage diners to use bread to soak up the garlic white wine sauce and squeeze lemon over the shellfish as desired.