Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 garlic cloves minced
4 thyme sprigs
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup Pernod
36 mussels about 2 pounds
3/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound dried tagliatelle
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped tarragon leaves plus a few whole leaves for garnish
Coarse black and white salts for garnish
Instructions
In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme sprigs, wine and Pernod and bring to a boil. Stir in the mussels, cover and cook over moderate heat until they open, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mussels to a bowl, discarding any that do not open.
Boil the liquid in the skillet over moderately high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer just until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs and stir in the mussels along with any accumulated juices. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the tagliatelle until al dente; drain well. Add the pasta and the chopped tarragon to the skillet; toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce. Transfer the pasta and mussels to a large bowl. Garnish with the tarragon leaves and the black and white salts and serve.
Making steamed mussels at home is an easy cooking skill to learn. Our basic recipe today has a blend of garlic, shallot, white wine and parsley to give these 20-minute mussels classic bistro flavor! The preparation is as simple as can be and the resulting plump and tender mussels in delicate garlic sauce are restaurant-quality! All you need is a little baguette to soak up all that savory garlicky juice and you’ll be in heaven!
The Fan Mussel, also called Pen Shell and endemic to the Mediterranean, resides offshore, nestled in soft-sediment areas. It plays host to symbiotic shrimp, which live inside the shell and offer alerts upon sensing threats1.
A devastating mass mortality event has occurred since 2016, caused by a harmful parasite and bringing about drastic population declines. Previous threats via illegal fishing, habitat loss, and climate change hadn't previously affected numbers so drastically. Because of these threats, the Fan Mussel is now critically endangered, with anticipated continued declines.
Zebra mussels, originating from Eurasia's fresh waters, have distinctive striped patterns on their shells. Despite their small size, they're known for their significant impact on the habitats they colonize.
Primarily filter feeders, their razor-sharp shells often necessitate protective footwear in the waters they inhabit. Since their invasion of the Great Lakes, these mussels have become a prominent issue, fastening to various submerged surfaces, including boats, docks, and even other mussels.
Hydroelectric companies and municipal water suppliers grappling with blockages from dense populations have found some relief using cupronickel alloy coatings, which zebra mussels struggle to attach.
While they've contributed to the near-extinction of several Great Lakes species, these mussels are effective indicators of environmental pollution, specifically to contaminants representative of water pollution.
Mussels, known as clams, are freshwater organisms with two hard external shells. The edible part of mussels contains 80% water, 9-13% protein, 0-2% fat, and 1-7% glycogen. Some people eat them raw, while others like them lightly cooked.
Mussels have a positive environmental impact that makes them sustainable. Their ecological role in the environment earned them the name of ecosystem engineers. They modify an aquatic habitat to make it more suitable for them6. They also provide nutrients for marine plants, invertebrates, and fish.
They consume organic matter from water columns and process it to build their body and strength before excreting. Their excretion is food for invertebrates, fish, and other marine organisms. Furthermore, the mussel's shell is a substrate for algae and insect larvae to attach to.
