Name: Steamed Mussels with Lemon-Saffron Sauce
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 cup crème fraîche*; 2 large egg yolks; 1 1/2 tablespoons butter; 2 large shallots, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy; 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 generous pinch of saffron threads; 40 mussels, scrubbed, debearded; 1 cup dry white wine; Fresh chives

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Steamed Mussels with Lemon-Saffron Sauce

The name for this beautiful Bordelais dish is mouclade. Use small mussels to approximate the tiny, sweet variety cultivated just off the coast north of Bordeaux. What to drink: Baron Philippe de Rothschild 2000 Mouton Cadet Blanc.

Recipe notes

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