Chilled Local Mussels with Mandarin Olive Oil Emmulsion
(Laurence Hauben, local chef and owner of Market Foreys)
I grew up in Northern France, where steamed mussels with French fries are on every café menu. On the first weekend of September, my hometown of Lille celebrates with an epic, citywide flea market followed by mountains of the tasty mollusks steamed in local beer, and accompanied by flows of the same. Family style tables are set on every street corner, and the crowds partake joyously, dunking the fries in the cooking juices of the mussels. It is a messy and delicious affair.
This recipe is more refined, but simple too, and can be prepared ahead of time for a party.
The swift, cold waters of the Santa Barbara Channel grow plump, succulent mussels. In season, they are available on Saturday mornings at the Farmers Market.
Ingredients
- 40 mussels, scrubbed and beards pulled off
- 1 Tbs. butter or olive oil
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 2 white onions, peeled and sliced
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. Peppercorns
- 1 bottle Sauvignon Blanc
Dressing
- 1 Tbs. minced shallots
- 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- Zest of 1 mandarin
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed mandarin juice
- 1 cup Olive Hill olive oil
Garnish
- Parsley, finely chopped
- Chives, finely chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, finely diced
Preparation
Sauté the celery and onions in the butter until translucent. Add the wine and seasonings. Bring to a simmer. Add the mussels, cover, and steam for about 5 minutes, until the shells open. When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove them from the shells, and chill until ready to assemble. Separate shells in halves and rinse them clean.
For the dressing: Whisk together all ingredients except the oil. Add the oil slowly, whisking all the time to emulsify. This can be done with a blender.
Assembly
Finishing touch: finely chopped parsley & chives, finely diced red peppers in season. Place a mussel in each half shell. Top with a little dressing and minced herbs and peppers, and set on a platter. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
