An Affordable and Family-friendly Recipe from the Renowned French Chef, Adorned with Six Michelin Stars. Because Fish with Cheese Works.
Fish and cheese are no longer a taboo: discover how Hélène Darroze serves them up. The starting point is classic, akin to a marinara of mussels with white wine and shallots. But the game-changer is the creaminess and extra savoriness of the blue sheep's cheese, softened by raw cream.
Some might be reminded of the mussels with pecorino, a typical dish from Puglia, where the plateau tasting is complemented with pieces of cheese. However, this custom is also widespread in France, especially with Roquefort cheese. Pair it with a dry white wine based on Chardonnay.
The recipe
Ingredients for 4 people
- 2 kg of bouchot mussels (cultivated on poles in northern France)
- 25 cl of dry white wine
- 2 shallots
- olive oil
- 100 g of blue sheep's cheese (blue-veined)
- 2 tablespoons of raw cream
- ½ lemon
- a few sprigs of parsley
- salt and pepper
Method
Thoroughly clean the mussels: remove the beards, soak them in a suitable bowl, and discard any that float. Drain and dry them.
Sauté the finely chopped shallots in a spacious saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil.
Add the mussels, deglaze with the white wine, and let them gently simmer. When the mussels open, they're ready. Remove them from the heat immediately to prevent them from becoming rubbery. Generally, this takes 3-4 minutes at most.
Incorporate the diced blue sheep's cheese, raw cream, juice of half a lemon, and mix. Season with salt, pepper, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Serve the mussels in warm plates, generously drizzled with the cooking juices.
