This is my first attempt to come close to the best mussel dish I have ever had, the Mussels in Tomatoes and Saffron at Lapis Restaurant on San Francisco's Embarcadero. I do not have the Lapis recipe (haven't asked for it), but I have looked up other recipes, which were similar. The recipe apparently has Mediterranean roots. This first attempt came out very good!
Since then, we visited The French Laundry in Yountville, often considered one of the country's top 5 restaurants. They served us a lobster dish in a mussel broth with saffron and vanilla bean. I haven't tried to add vanilla bean to this recipe yet, but feel obligated to do so soon.
Serves 2
Cube one potato (1/2- 3/4-inch cubes). Saute pieces until tender and slightly brown in hot olive oil, salt them. Grill corn on the cob on a grill until some of the kernels are brownish, black. Or shave the kernels off and saute them in a very little oil with salt, until they start to blacken. Put potatoes and corn aside. Option: brown lightly 1/3-1/2 lb mild pork sausage (without the skins). You can pre-boil them and brown them quickly. Don't let them get too crisp. Put sausage aside also.
In a deep pan or pot, heat a little olive oil over medium flame and saute (all chopped small) 1 medium yellow onion, 1 carrot, about 2.5 inches of of one medium leek or two spring onions with a pinch of kosher or sea salt. When onions are translucent, but not brown, add 2 large garlic cloves, chopped very fine and one small hot red pepper (you can use a small pinch of red pepper flakes); lower the heat and cook for another 5 minutes covered.
Add two dozen or so cleaned live mussels (scrub and remove beards) to the pan with 2 cups of a chardonney or savignon blanc (not too oakey if possible). Live mussels are closed. Insist on closed mussels. Cover and cook over medium heat until the mussels open. If only a couple haven't opened, toss them and use the rest.
Turn the heat very low and remove the mussels (don't leave them in or they will overcook and become tough). Add to the remaining liquid, a large pinch of saffron threads, while you are preparing three or four finely chopped tomatoes. I like to use a mix of heirloom tomatoes for color if they are available. In a pinch you can use a can of high-quality Italian tomatoes. Add the tomatoes to the pan and also add the juice of one lemon or one small orange (if you like it sweeter). The best is the juice from one medium satsuma orange if you can get them. Continue to heat until the mixture gets back to temperature. In all, the saffron should be in for at least 10 minutes. For a slighly different result. Toast saffron in a non-stick plan for a few minutes before putting them into the mixture.
Now stir between 1/4 cup (my usual) and 1/2 cup of heavy cream into the broth and reduced by 20% or until it is just a bit thiner than you like it. Next add the grilled corn, potatoes, mussels, sausage if you have it, and fresh ground pepper in that order and heat through. As soon as everything is rewarmed, serve it immediately in wide open bowls with crusty bread, big spoons, napkins and small bowls for disgarding shells.
