Mussels with Bottarga

Mussels with Bottarga

Mussels! An ingredient with almost endless possibilities! These are intensely umami, elevated with bottarga, and so flavorful you’ll be going back for more.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh mussels

  • 1 tbsp blue cheese (ideally Saint-Agur)

  • 1 cup white wine

  • Trikalinos bottarga

  • 3 tbsp finely minced leek

  • 2 tbsp crème fraîche

  • 1 pinch Espelette pepper

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 1 French shallot, finely minced

  • 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley

  • A few slices of good bread or baguette (ideally wood-fired grilled)

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Before starting to cook, it’s important to prep and cut all the ingredients. Mussels cook very quickly, so everything should be ready before you begin.

  2. Thoroughly rinse the mussels under cold water. This step is essential, as it greatly affects the quality of the dish and the broth.

  3. In a small amount of butter or olive oil, gently sweat the French shallot and leek. Once the shallot becomes translucent, add the garlic and continue cooking over low heat for 1–2 minutes.

  4. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the mussels. Toss them gently so they are coated with the mixture.

  5. Add the white wine and cover. Cook for 4–5 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally. The mussels will open and release their juices, creating an incredibly flavorful broth.

  6. Once the mussels open, they are ready. Remove the mussels and set aside. To the broth, add the blue cheese, crème fraîche, a bit of bottarga grated with a Microplane, the parsley, and the Espelette pepper (optional). Cook for 1–2 minutes, allowing the blue cheese to melt.

  7. Return the mussels to the broth and mix well to coat and reheat them.

  8. Serve in a deep bowl, lifting the mussels with a spider skimmer and ladling the broth over them. Finish with a generous shower of finely grated bottarga and a little parsley. Serve with the grilled bread.

Tim Lebrasseur

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