Mussels in Beer Broth
with shallots, lime, cilantro, and goat cheese
A pound of mussels, a bottle of Corona, and twenty minutes you will not get enough credit for.
Chef secret · start ahead
The flour soak. It plumps the meat and pulls the sand out. Fill a large bowl with ice cold water and a couple of tablespoons of flour, add your cleaned mussels, and let them sit about an hour. Rinse, then cook. Start this an hour before everything else.
Ingredients
- The aromatics
- The steam
- The mount
- The finish
- At the table
Method
Heat a large sauté pan or pot over medium heat, one big enough to hold all the mussels and take a lid. Warm the oil, then add the shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes and the sprig of thyme.
Cook, stirring, until the garlic and shallots just begin to brown at the edges. About 2 minutes.
Add the mussels and toss to coat and warm them, about 1 minute. Keep an eye on the garlic and shallots so they do not burn.
Add the beer and lime juice and turn the heat up. Once it simmers, cover and leave it 3 to 5 minutes.
Uncover, and mind your arm. If most of the mussels are open, pull the pan off the heat. If not, give it another 1 to 2 minutes.
Lift the mussels out into a large serving dish and leave the liquid in the pan. Throw away any mussel that stayed shut.
Put the pan back on the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce it until you have about 1 cup left.
Off the heat, whisk in the butter one tablespoon at a time, whisking between each one until it melts and the sauce thickens.
Whisk in the cilantro and parsley, then taste for salt. Pour it over the mussels straight away and crumble the goat cheese over the top. Serve with the grilled bread.
Made with
What to pour
Albarino, $16 to $24. Saline and citrus-driven, so it runs with the lime instead of fighting it, and it has the acid to cut the butter and the goat cheese.
See the full pairing guide