• Cuisine: Italian
• Course: Appetizer
• Features: Fast

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds mussels
• 1/4 cup good-quality mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
• 3 to 4 drops hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco brand
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, smashed
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup yogurt, preferably goat's-milk
• 2 teaspoons raw sugar, such as Demerara
• Sea salt
• 1/2 medium leek, trimmed, washed well and cut into julienenne (very thin strips)
• 1 rib celery, cut into julienne

Directions:

Clean and debeard the mussels and rinse in a colander under cold running water, discarding any whose shells are cracked or do not close tightly when tapped. Place the mussels in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Cook, covered, over high heat to open the shells; the mussels will produce their own broth. Let cool. Remove the mussels from their shells and set aside. Reserve and strain 1/2 cup of the liquid; discard the mussel shells.

Place the mussel liquid in a small saucepan over high heat and cook for about 7 minutes, until it has reduced by one-third.

Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, hot pepper sauce, mustard seeds, vinegars, yogurt and sugar in a medium bowl. Season with salt to taste. If the mixture is very thick, add spoonfuls of the reduced mussel broth to reach the desired consistency. Add the cooked mussels, leek and celery to the sauce, stirring to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours, until ready to serve.

Recipe Source:

Adapted from "Adventures of an Italian Food Lover," by Faith Heller Willinger (Clarkson Potter, 2007).

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