PORTLAND, Maine — Chef Daron Goldstein of the Provender Kitchen + Bar recently visited the 207 kitchen at O'Maine studios to prepare this version of mussels -- a favorite on their menu!
PROVENDER MUSSELS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fennel
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 pounds mussels
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup preserved lemons
2 TBS dice tomato
1/2 cup beurre blanc
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add fennel, shallots, garlic, mussels, white wine, and preserved lemon and saute over until the mussels open. Finish with dice tomato, fresh herbs, beurre blanc. (Note: chef also said as a substitute for the preserved lemons you could use a bit of lemon zest.)
PRESERVED LEMONS
5 lemons
1/4 cup salt, more if desired
Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, sprinkle salt on the exposed flesh, then reshape the fruit.
3. Place 1 tablespoon salt on the bottom of the mason jar. Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding more salt, and the optional spices between layers. Press the lemons down to release their juices and to make room for the remaining lemons. (If the juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice — not chemically produced lemon juice and not water.*) Leave some air space before sealing the jar.
4. Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice. Let ripen for 30 days. To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and discarding the pulp, if desired — and there is no need to refrigerate after opening. Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a year.
BEURRE BLANC
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
2 TBS finely chopped shallot
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces and chilled
PREPARATION
Boil wine, vinegar, and shallot in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until liquid is syrupy and reduced to 2 to 3 tablespoons, about 5 minutes. Add cream, salt, and white pepper and boil 1 minute. Reduce heat to moderately low and add a few tablespoons butter, whisking constantly. Add remaining butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly and adding new pieces before previous ones have completely liquefied (the sauce should maintain consistency of hollandaise), lifting pan from heat occasionally to cool mixture.
Remove from heat, then season to taste with salt and pepper and pour sauce through a medium-mesh sieve into a sauceboat, pressing on and then discarding shallot. Serve immediately.