Hugo Bordin's Mussels in White Wine and Creme Fraiche

Sometimes The New York Times can be such a tease. Why, you ask? Well, take this article that Julia Moskin wrote in August about the glories of the humble mussel.

I certainly need no prompting to sing the praises of a mussel. So tender, so sweet, so weirdly shaped and colored, so amenable to a myriad of flavors (white wine! shallots! tender tomatoes! basil! lemongrass! coconut milk! red curry! green curry!), so cheap, so plentiful. I mean, who has a problem with mussels (well, besides the Jews and the shellfish allergic)?

Not me.

So when Julia wrote, in her article, about the way that Sam Hayward of Fore Street in Portland prepared his wood-roasted mussels and described this method as a "single-dish public relations campaign for the long-neglected mussel", furthermore noting that the dish was so good that "that diners have been known to order [it] two or three times in one sitting", I rubbed my greedy hands together and let my eyes jump to the recipe box. I couldn't wait to try it!

But, dear readers, it was not to be. Because Ms. Moskin hadn't printed Fore Street's mussel recipe. Oh no, instead she'd shared a recipe from 25-year old Hugo Bordin, a chef on Il de Re whose family has been fishing mussels (musseling mussels?) since before time began. Oh, sure, he's probably some expert and he's certainly got the lineage to prove it. But didn't Julia realize the pain she'd caused me?

All I wanted was to try the famous Fore Street mussels and short of getting myself to Portland (which, ahem, isn't exactly outside the realm of possibility, but never mind), it wasn't going to happen for me.

Dejectedly, I clipped the Il de Re'ian recipe and let it sit on my desk for a few months until, one Friday night, I found myself with a hankering for a quick shellfish dinner. I bought mussels, a bottle of Muscadet, a little tub of crème fraîche and put myself to work. Up until the mussels were steamed in their winy-oniony mussel-liquor bath, everything worked out just fine. But then I was instructed to remove the cooked mussels from the pan and reduce the liquid into a sauce. Which I started to do. And do. And do. Because have you ever tried reducing more than 2 cups of liquid into a sauce, quickly? Yeah. Didn't think so.

The recipe took a lot longer than the 20 minutes specified, but in its defense, the resulting soup was pretty good. Of course, the delicious soup didn't do much to warm up the mussels that had grown stone-cold waiting for their anointing liquid to reduce. So, I don't know. We ate our bowls of cold mussels and warmish soup and were happy enough, but something nagged at me. I didn't want Bordin's mussel recipe! I wanted Hayward's. The New York Times had whet my appetite and I resented being deterred from my one true goal.

But then.

I started typing up this post. Which meant I had to google Sam Hayward. Which brought me to a Food & Wine piece that Nancy Harmon Jenkins wrote on him. And, lo and behold, what did I find in that there piece?

You got it. The recipe.

Voila.

It'd better be good!

Mussels in White Wine and Crème Fraîche
Yields 2 main course servings or 4 appetizer servings

4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
2 cups white wine
4 pounds mussels
3 tablespoons crème fraîche
Salt and pepper

1. In a wide skillet with a lid, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and shallot, and stir until very soft and beginning to turn gold, about 5 minutes; do not let them brown. Add thyme and bay leaf and stir. Add wine and 1 cup water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add mussels, cover, and cook until open, about 4 minutes.

2. Transfer mussels to serving bowls with a slotted spoon and boil liquid in the pan until reduced to a sauce. Turn off heat and whisk in crème fraîche and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over mussels and serve with crusty bread.

Comments

[deb]

I cannot believe we ate at Fore Street less than two months ago and didn't partake in these mussels. My husband was drawn in by the lobster roll, and I, in some foppish and regrettable attempt at lightening my intake, had a salad as an appetizer. Thanks for tracking down the recipe, though I am torn about whether to make this or that awesome mussel soup you mentioned a few months ago first! Alex, as usual, is no help. "Both."

[Sarah]

Sweet Mary and Joseph. Could anything sound simpler? Like pure unadulterated pleasure?

[Rose's Lime]

I have to say that Fore Street is among my favorite restaurants in the world... and that's without ever having had the mussels.

Hie thee to Portland. The museum's very nice too.

[ann]

I'm so glad you found the recipe! I wonder if it would work with clams too (i'm weirded out by mussles, no clue why)

[shaz]

looks excellent! keep up the great efforts. I lvoe reading your posts

[Rebecca]

What a wonderful recipe; thanks for tracking it down for us, Luisa!

[Luisa]

Deb - well, I can vouch for the deliciousness of the mussel soup. You won't regret making it! But of course, now I'm completely fixated on these roasted mussels. So I'm afraid I'm of no help, either! :)

Sarah - that's what I thought!

RL - Portland is a lovely town, we were just there this summer and will be going back next year, I'm sure. And next time, I'm insisting on a trip to Fore Street. I've been meaning to go there since a botched attempt in 1999.

Ann - I can't imagine why it wouldn't work with clams. But what weirds you out about mussels that doesn't weird you out about clams?

Shaz - thank you kindly!

Rebecca - no problem, my dear... Now let's just see if it actually lives up to its reputation.

[ann]

it's the texture. weird right? we all have our things :-)

[Grant]

Oh boy. That looks fantastic. I absolutely LOVE mussels and this recipe looks guananteed to be delicious. I am going to have to try it soon.

[Julie]

I read that same article this summer and the description of the éclade de moules ("The mussels are arranged on a plank of pine that has been soaked in seawater, then covered with pine branches or grape vines that are set alight. In about five minutes, the smoldering branches are swept away, leaving behind a bracing aroma and mussels filled with smoky meat.") was what caught my attention. That seems like it ought to be doable doesn't it? Although in my case, not on a sandy beach but in a Weber kettle.

But mussels with créme fraiche sounds good to me --- OK, anything with créme fraiche sounds good to me -- and the roasted mussels also sound delicious.

All sorts of mussel goodness!

[Laurel Rogers]

Mussels are my favorite! I'm from N.Calif.& I've always loved this shellfish. No need for Pernod, coconut milk, lemongrass, etc. This IS the recipe for a simple, gracefully seasoned, entree. GREAT RECIPE!!!
Thank you, Laurel Rogers :)

[Jeannie Rose]

Yum, I may try that today with the other half of the bag I cooked yesterday. I linked you on my post!

[Anna Charlotte]

My fellow and I made this yesterday in its full quantity and Ate. It. All, along with an entire baguette. Yikes. I think Christmas has expanded my stomach. But, despite our best efforts, some sauce remained! I couldn't bear to throw it out, but it's not really enough to dress a whole meal by itself. Any thoughts on what to do with about 1/4 cup of delicious mussel+wine goodness?