Dauphine’s Mussels in Absinthe

Name: Dauphine’s Mussels in Absinthe
Ingredients: For the poached mussels; 5 lbs (2.3 kg) mussels, scrubbed and debearded; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 3 sprigs thyme; 1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine; __________________; For the absinthe marinade; 1/4 cup (60 ml) reserved mussel broth; 1/4 cup (60 ml) Herbsaint; 1 large shallot, thinly shaved; 2 large sprigs thyme, leaves stripped from the stems and lightly chopped; 2 cl oves garlic, thinly shaved; 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper; juice and zest of 1 lemon

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Ingredients

For the poached mussels
5lbs (2.3 kg) mussels, scrubbed and debearded
2 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
3 sprigsthyme
1/4 cup(60 ml) dry white wine
__________________
For the absinthe marinade
1/4 cup(60 ml) reserved mussel broth
1/4 cup(60 ml) Herbsaint
1large shallot, thinly shaved
2large sprigs thyme, leaves stripped from the stems and lightly chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly shaved
3/4 cupextra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tspFreshly ground black pepper
juice and zest of 1 lemon

Preparation

1.
Discard any mussels with cracked shells or that are opened. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the mussels and thyme sprigs to the pot and pour the wine over the top. Cover the pot and cook 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the pot (with the lid on) once or twice during cooking. After 3 minutes, check the mussels. Most should be open by now—if not, re-cover and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Discard any mussels that still haven’t opened by this time and shell the remainder. Place the mussel meat in a bowl and store in the refrigerator. Save 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the mussel cooking broth. Discard the shells.
2.
In a large bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients, stirring to mix. Add the mussels, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
3.
To serve, remove the mussels from the refrigerator to take a bit of the chill off. Serve with crème fraiche and fried saltines.
4.
Note: To fry saltines, heat some neutral oil in a high-sided sauté pan to 350°F (175°C). Fry the saltines (working in batches as necessary so as not to crowd the pan) until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels before serving.