Mussels in a white wine and cream sauce with saffron & toasted bread

A shellfish dish for the months containing the letter ‘R’ and a New Zealand wine with a creamy texture

A New Zealand wine goes well with these mussels, which are in season in November. Fresh mussels are steamed with shallots, garlic, white wine and saffron for a few minutes until they open, and the aromatic stock is enriched with cream to create a golden-yellow sauce. This is served with crispy toast rubbed with garlic, which you can use to mop up every last drop of the sauce. The dish is quick to prepare, easy even for beginners, and requires just a few ingredients. It’s perfect for an evening meal, for guests, or for anyone who wants to bring a taste of Brittany or the North Sea to the table. A white wine with a creamy texture, ripe fruit and fresh acidity rounds the dish off perfectly.

Ideal wine pairing: Whitehaven Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Block 11 (Marlborough, New Zealand)

Ripe stone fruit such as peach and apricot, citrus fruits, fresh herbs and floral notes rise to the nose, accompanied by a subtle woody framework. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied and creamy, with notes of peach, melon and lemon zest, and a long finish. The grapes come from Block 11 of Paul’s Road Vineyards in Rapaura, in the Wairau Valley. The wine was fermented spontaneously with wild yeasts and matured in old French oak barrels; over 80 per cent underwent malolactic fermentation. With 13.5 per cent alcohol and 1.9 grams of residual sugar, it is dry, whilst the acidity of 6.4 grams keeps it fresh. This pairs well with mussels, as the wine’s creamy texture complements the cream sauce; the floral notes echo the saffron; the lemon zest harmonises with the splash of lemon; the herbs mirror the thyme and parsley; and the acidity keeps the sauce light. Sam Kim of Wine Orbit awarded 95 points, Cameron Douglas MS 94 points and Erin Larkin, writing for Robert Parker, 92 points. Serve the wine at 8 to 10 degrees.

The recipe:

Mussels in a white wine and cream sauce with saffron & toasted bread

These mussels are steamed in a stock made from shallots, garlic, white wine, saffron, bay leaves and thyme until they open. The aromatic stock is reduced with cream to form a golden-yellow sauce and seasoned to taste with lemon juice and parsley. The bread is toasted with olive oil and rubbed with garlic so you can mop up the sauce. The recipe serves two, is easy enough for beginners, takes less than an hour to prepare and pairs perfectly with a white wine that has a creamy texture and fresh acidity.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Fish and Seafood

Cuisine European

Servings 2 people

Calories 690 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Large saucepan with a lid
• 1 skimmer
• 1 Small frying pan
• 1 Large bowl for preheating
• 1 Bowl for empty mussel shells
• 1 A sharp kitchen knife

Ingredients

  

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FOR THE MUSSELS:

• 1 kg fresh mussels
• 2 shallots
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 1 A pinch of saffron threads
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 sprigs of thyme

FOR THE CREAM SAUCE:

• 200 ml cream
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 2 A tablespoon of chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Pepper Salt

FOR THE TOAST:

• 4 Slices of baguette or country bread
• 2 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 garlic clove

FOR SERVING:

• A few parsley leaves
• 2 lemon wedges
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

 

PREPARATION:

• Scrub the mussels (1 kg) under cold water and rinse them.
• Pull the beard hairs out of the shell in one swift motion.
• Discard any open mussels that do not close when tapped, and any damaged mussels.
• Finely dice the shallots (2) and finely chop the garlic (1 clove).
• Soak the saffron (1 pinch) in 2 tbsp of warm white wine.
• Chop the parsley (2 tbsp).
• Preheat the dish for the mussels in the oven to 80 °C.

COOKING STEPS:

• Heat the butter (1 tbsp) in a large saucepan and fry the shallots for 3 minutes until translucent.
• Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute.
• Deglaze with white wine (150 ml) and the soaked saffron, add the bay leaf (1) and thyme (2 sprigs), and bring to the boil.
• Add the mussels, put the lid on and steam for 5 to 6 minutes over a high heat, shaking the pan occasionally.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to the preheated bowl, discarding any that are still closed.
• Remove the bay leaf and thyme from the stock.
• Pour the cream (200 ml) into the stock and simmer for 4 minutes until the sauce is slightly creamy.
• Stir in the lemon juice (1 tsp) and parsley, then season to taste with pepper and a little salt.
• Brush the slices of bread (4) with olive oil (2 tbsp) and fry in a frying pan for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
• Rub the toasted bread with a halved clove of garlic (1).
• Pour the sauce over the mussels.

SERVE:

• Spoon the mussels and the sauce into deep, pre-warmed bowls.
• Add the toasted bread.
• Sprinkle with parsley leaves.
• Serve with a wedge of lemon and freshly ground pepper.
• Place a bowl next to it to collect the empty shells.

SIDE DISHES:

• Crispy chips with sea salt
• Frisée salad with mustard vinaigrette
• Aioli

Nutrition

Calories: 690kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 32gFat: 40g

Keyword Fall Recipe, Mussels, Mussels in white wine sauce, Mussels with cream, November recipe, Saffron, Sauvignon Blanc, Toasted bread, Wine from New Zealand, Wine to go with mussels

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