Mussels Steamed in Hard Cider with Creme Fraiche

Mussels are the best value protein at any fish counter and one of the fastest things you can cook. Two pounds feeds two people properly and costs less than a couple of chicken breasts.

Hard cider instead of white wine is a small change that makes the broth sweeter and rounder, and it goes better with the cream.

Why this one is iodine-rich

Mussels are a strong shellfish source, and here they come with a broth built on dairy — another significant everyday contributor. Because you drink the liquid rather than draining it, you keep what leaches out of the shells during cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 2.

• 2 lb live mussels
• 1 cup dry hard cider
• 3 tbsp creme fraiche
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Large handful of parsley, chopped
• Bread, to serve

Method

1. Tip the mussels into a sink of cold water. Pull away any stringy beards, scrub off barnacles, and discard any with cracked shells. Tap any open ones firmly on the counter — if they do not close within a few seconds, throw them out.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot with a lid. Soften the shallots and garlic gently for 5 minutes without browning.
3. Pour in the cider and bring to a hard boil for 1 minute to cook off the raw alcohol.
4. Add the mussels, clamp on the lid and cook over high heat for 4–5 minutes, shaking the pot once, until the shells have opened.
5. Lift the mussels into warm bowls with a slotted spoon. Discard any that stayed shut.
6. Whisk the creme fraiche and mustard into the liquid left in the pot and let it bubble for 1 minute. Pour over the mussels and finish with parsley.

Notes and swaps

• Buying. They should smell of clean seawater and nothing else. Keep them in the fridge in an open bowl under a damp cloth, never sealed in a bag or in water, and cook them the day you buy them.
• No hard cider. Dry white wine, or broth with a squeeze of lemon.
• Clams work exactly the same way and cook slightly faster.
• The broth is the point. Do not drain it. Bread is not optional.

Common questions

What if some do not open?
Discard them. It usually means they were not alive going in.

Are mussels sustainable?
Rope-grown mussels are among the better-rated seafood choices, since they feed themselves and need no feed inputs.

The food-first habit

Shellfish every couple of weeks is an easy, cheap addition to a rotation. If you started with Lugol's Iodine to correct a shortfall, dinners like this are the part that keeps going after the bottle is finished.

Recipes are published for general interest and are not medical or dietary advice. Iodine requirements vary from person to person, and iodine has an upper limit as well as a recommended intake. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking thyroid medication or managing a thyroid condition, speak to your healthcare provider before making significant changes to your iodine intake. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.