Mussels With Shallots And Tarragon Recipes

ALE-STEAMED MUSSELS WITH GARLIC AND MUSTARD

Steps:

• Rinse mussels under cold running water. If you see hairy clumps around the shell (called beards), use a sharp knife or your fingers to pull them off, then scrub shells well with a vegetable brush.
• In a soup pot with a tight-fitting cover, heat olive oil, then add thyme, garlic, shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until shallots and garlic are softened, 3 minutes. Pour in ale and bring to a simmer. Add mussels and cover pot. Let mussels steam, stirring once or twice, until they open, 5 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mussels to bowls. Discard any that have not opened.
• Add butter, herbs and mustard to pan juices and bring to a boil. Whisk until butter melts, then taste and correct seasonings (add more butter if liquid tastes bitter). Pour over mussels and serve with bread for sopping up juices.

MUSSELS WITH SHALLOTS AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Scrub the mussels well in several changes of water, scrape off the beards, and rinse the mussels. In a 2-quart microwave-safe round glass casserole with a lid combine the wine, the shallots, the zest, the fennel seeds, and the tarragon and microwave the mixture, covered, at high power (100%) for 3 minutes. Stir in the mussels and microwave the mixture, covered, at high power, stirring once every minute and transferring any mussels that are wide open to a bowl and keeping them warm, for 2 1/2 to 4 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels. Return the mussels to the casserole, sprinkle them with the onion, and drizzle them with the oil. Let the mussels stand for 1 minute.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH PASILLA PEPPER CREAM, SHALLOTS AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the pasilla pepper on a pie tin and toast in preheated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the cream to one short boil. Lightly crumble the pasilla pepper and add to warm cream along with paprika. Stir to combine, set aside to steep for about 20 minutes. Place the infused cream mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer, discard the pepper pulp and reserve the pepper cream. In a large acid resistant pot with a tight fitting lid, combine the shallots, garlic, wine and clam juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce by half, about 10 minutes. Add the mussels. Cover the pot and cook over high heat until the mussels open, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the pasilla cream, tarragon and chives. Serve in 4 individual bowls.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH WHITE WINE, TARRAGON, SHALLOTS, BUTTER, AND GRILLED FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Sprinkle garlic with a pinch of salt and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the garlic to a coarse paste. Heat the oil in a stockpot on the grates of the grill, add the shallots and garlic and cook until shallots soften. Add the wine, bring to a boil and stir in the mussels. Cover the pot and cook the mussels until all of them have opened, about 6 to 8 minutes, discard any that do not open.
• Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer and whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and stir in the tarragon. Pour the mixture over the mussels and serve immediately with grilled bread.
• Brush cut side of baguette with oil, season with salt and pepper and grill, cut side down until lightly golden brown.

FRAGRANT STEAMED MUSSELS IN VERMOUTH WITH HERBS AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Melt the butter with the olive oil in a very large saucepan (one that has a matching lid).
• Add the finely minced garlic and pink shallots and cook over a gentle heat until they are soft but not coloured, for about 5 minutes.
• Add the tarragon, parsley, salt and black pepper, sweat together for about 1 minute.
• Add the vermouth and wine and then tip in the cleaned mussels - give them a good stir and then put the lid on the saucepan and turn up the heat.
• Steam the mussels for about 2 to 8 minutes, this depends on the size of the mussels and if they are at room temperature or chilled; steam them until the shells have opened up.
• Serve the mussels in a large bowl with the cooking liquor poured over the top, and discard any mussels that have not opened up.
• Allow 500g per person for a main meal, with bread and frites.
• Make sure there is a bowl on the table to collect the empty mussel shells, plus plenty of napkins!

MUSSELS WITH AQUAVIT, CREAM, AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Throw out any mussels with cracked shells or that did not close when you scrubbed them.
• Heat the butter over medium heat in a pot just large enough to hold the mussels. Sauté the shallots and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes. Add half the tarragon, the thyme, vinegar, fennel seeds, aquavit, and mussels. Increase the heat to medium-high. Cover and let steam for 6 to 7 minutes, until the mussels have opened. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a large serving bowl; discard any that did not open.
• Add the cream to the cooking juices and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, until slightly reduced. Season with salt and a little more minced garlic, if desired. Pour the cooking juices over the mussels, sprinkle with the rest of the tarragon, and serve.

MUSSELS WITH CORN, CHERRY TOMATOES, AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook shallot, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine and reduce mixture by half. Add tomatoes and corn and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add mussels to pot and cook, covered, until shells have opened, 4 to 5 minutes. (Discard any unopened shells.)
• Stir in tarragon. Drizzle toast with oil and serve with mussels. Garnish with tarragon leaves.