Steamed Mussels with Lime & Cilantro

By DenaK

Ingredients

• 4 lb. mussels
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1 large fresh jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or white vermouth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. Asian chile sauce, such as Sriracha, or other hot sauce (optional)
• Kosher salt

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from finecooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

Rinse the mussels in a colander under cold water, scrub the shells thoroughly, remove the tough, wiry beards, and discard any mussels with broken or gaping shells. While the mussels drain, heat the oil in a large, wide pot over medium- high heat. Add the carrot and jalapeño and sauté, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften and lightly brown, about 2 min. Add the garlic and 1/2 tsp. of the lime zest, and continue to sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and raise the heat to high. As soon as the wine boils, add the mussels and cover the pot. Steam the mussels, shaking the pot once or twice, until the shells open, 5 to 6 min.

Remove the pot from the heat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a large bowl and keep warm. Return the pot with the cooking liquid to the heat, add the cream, and boil until the sauce reduces just a bit, 2 to 3 min. Add 1-1/2 Tbs. of the lime juice, the cilantro, and the chile sauce, if using. Taste and add more lime juice and salt if needed. Ladle the mussels into wide, shallow bowls, pour some of the sauce over each portion, and serve immediately.

I made this dish last night, very aromatic I might add. Since it was only 2 of us I only used 1# of mussels and scaled back on the ingredients, I used half of a small Jalapeno instead of a large and added a few strands of Saffron to the wine before I added the Mussels. My husband enjoyed the dish so much he wants me to make it again tonight! Next time I may have to try this with Shrimp and Scallops minus the Mussels. Maybe I can give it 5 stars after making it again tonight.