Recipe
Saffron Mussel Sauce
©
Julian Mitchison 2012
½ bottle white wine (not too expensive)
2 shallots
1/3 box saffron filaments
200ml fish stock
250g live mussels
A decent slug of Noilly Prat
1 or 2 tablespoons crème fraiche
Salt and pepper
First make the saffron concentrate by bringing the
roughly chopped shallots to the boil, with the saffron, in the wine – and
simmering until you have only 2 or 3 tablespoons of liquid left
Strain, squeezing the solids so you get all the liquid
out
Reserve the liquid, discard the solids
When you come to serve the sauce get the fish stock
boiling in a wide enough pan with a lid
Add the mussels and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until they
open
As soon as they open take them off the heat and take
the mussels out of the pan, leaving the liquid in – keep the mussels in the
warm but with a lid on so they don’t dry out – the meter is running now
because the mussels won’t stay perfect for long
Put the liquid back on to boil
Add the reserved saffron liquid and put the lid back on
until it comes back to the boil – then remove the lid to reduce the sauce by
a bit (but not too much!)
While the sauce cooks you can either take the mussels
meats out of the shells – or not bother, depending on the look you want
When you are happy with the consistency of the sauce
take it off the heat, mix in the crème fraiche, season and either pour over
the mussels meats or make a puddle of sauce on the plate and sit the mussels
in their shells in it. If it has thickened too much or there just isn’t
enough stir in a dribble more fish stock to loosen it.
