Lemon sauce mussels

With today’s recipe I’ll take you to Corfu, the most famous of all Greek islands in the Ionian Sea. Corfu’s name is actually Italian with a Greek counterpart, Kerkyra. Legend has it Poseidon named the island as a sign of his love for the beautiful nymph Kerkyra. These days you’ll see it referred by all kinds of names, including “The Ionian Ibiza”.

Liston street, styled after Paris’s Rivoli is a must-see. While you are at it don’t miss out on cinnamon & honey loukoumades and ginger beer! Corfu has a soap factory, Patounis, whos traditional soaps have an amazing smell. Majority of the island’s electricity is delivered via underwater cables, so divers beware 🙂 One more fact before we dive into today’s recipe, the only place in Europe where Kumquat grows is Corfu. Kumquat cake is amazing, however my aim is to stay away from exotic products and target accessible ingredients. Hence my decision to showcase lemon sauce mussels.

Ingredients

• 1 kg fresh mussels
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 onion
• 1-2 garlic clove
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 30 g olive oil (of course)
• 50 ml dry white wine
• 30 ml cooking cream (35%)
• 1-2 bay leafs
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a suitable pot pour about 5-6 cm (2 in) of water. Add the mussels (washed) and bay leafs. Boil for about 4-5 min, until the mussels open up. Remove from the stove and pour out the water.
2. Use a separate pan for the sauce. Over medium heat melt the butter while constantly stirring. Mix in the onion and crushed garlic cloves. After a minute add the olive oil and white wine, stop stirring and let it reduce until the wine is at about half. Remove from the stove and add the cream and lemon juice (yes squeeze the lemon). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour the sauce on top of the mussels in a large enough plate.
4. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

Although the recipe is quite easy you have to make sure the mussels are clean. Make sure to discard those with broken shells. Always buy fresh mussels!