Cold Mussels With Tomato Coriander Sauce Recipes

COLD POACHED MUSSELS WITH CREAMY MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium high-sided saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, and cook, stirring, until shallots are translucent and garlic is very fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Add mussels and wine. Cover saucepan, and cook until mussels open and are cooked through, about 8 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
• Remove mussels from saucepan. Transfer cooking liquid to a small bowl, and set aside to cool. When cool, transfer to refrigerator to chill.
• Remove mussels from shells, reserving shells for serving, if desired. Place mussels in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to refrigerator.
• Whisk together creme fraiche, mustard, and champagne vinegar. Stir cooking liquid, and add about 4 tablespoons reserved cooking liquid and shallots to the creme fraiche mixture to make a nice thin sauce with just enough body to cling to mussels. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and more mustard if desired. Stir in half the lemon zest and chervil.
• Gently toss cold mussels in mustard sauce. Spoon a mussel and a large puddle of sauce back into reserved mussel shells. Sprinkle mussels with remaining half of zest and chervil, and serve with any remaining sauce on the side.

COLD MUSSELS WITH TOMATO CORIANDER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy stainless steel or enameled kettle steam the mussels in the wine covered over high heat shaking the kettle once or twice, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the shells have opened. Discard any unopened shells. Transfer the mussels with a slotted spoon to jelly-roll pans, reserving the mussel liquor, discard the top shells, and release the the mussels from the bottom shells, leaving them in the shells. Chill the mussels, covered loosely with dampened paper towels and wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least 2 hours or overnight. Strain the reserved mussel liquor through a fine sieve lined with a double thickness of rinsed and squeezed cheesecloth into a small bowl.
• In a large stainless steel or enameled skillet cook the onions in the oil over moderate, stirring, until they are softened, add the garlic, and cook the mixture, stirring, stirring until the garlic is softened. Add the cumin and cook the mixture over moderately low heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the strained mussel liquor, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the mixture, stirring for 10 minutes, or until it is thickened slightly. Stir in the chili peppers, the scallion, and salt and pepper to taste, let the sauce cool, and stir in the minced coriander.
• Spoon the sauce over the mussels, arrange the mussels decoratively on platters, and garnish the platters with the coriander leaves if desired. (The mussels with the sauce may be prepared up to 1 day ahead and kept covered and chilled.)