As the weather cools I look for soul satisfying soups and stews to take the chill off and to use available seasonal ingredients, especially fall crops like leeks. I am a big fan of leeks. Yes, they can be a pain to clean, but they make everything I do with them better. I use them as a base for my braised short ribs, pot roast and for lamb shanks, where they are infused with meaty goodness and almost caramelized from the reduction in the pan. This recipe is a quick one, where the leeks and the mussels take center stage, and it is good enough for company. I’ve even served this as a holiday appetizer.

Balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard were not commodities in the 80’s and phyllo dough could not be sourced from Market Basket’s freezer.

Mussels are the unsung heroes of the shellfish clan. They’re half the price of steamers and cheaper than little necks or cherrystones. Heck, they’re not that much more than big, honking quahogs. They are upscale and reasonable – sign me up. And their flavor holds its own with a good sauce.

I was a specialty food retailer on Cape Cod in what seems like several lifetimes ago. Gourmet food shop owners and chefs had a lot in common. We sometimes sold the chefs hard to get items, which are now standard fare in grocery aisles. This was long before anything your heart desired could be purchased on Amazon. Balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard were not commodities in the 80’s and phyllo dough could not be sourced from Market Basket’s freezer. So I saw a lot of chefs. One chef we got to know and who was generous with his recipes was Bobby Gold, who last I knew was still working on Cape Cod. This was his recipe from his late, great bistro in Hyannis, Penguins Go Pasta. He published it in a local magazine in 1982, and I have silently sent him blessings for his generosity many, many times over. It’s still my go-to whenever I crave mussels. 

Bobby Gold’s Mussels Dijon

Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main course

5 lbs. mussels, scrubbed and debearded

2 c. heavy cream

1 c. white wine

1 carrot, grated

1 clove garlic, minced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

½ leak stalk, well cleaned and diced

4 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 T. cooking oil

Heat the oil in a lidded pot large enough to hold the mussels. Add the carrot, garlic, scallions and leek and sauté until translucent but not browned. Add the mustard, wine and cream and mix. Add the mussels and stir together. Cover the pot and steam until the mussels open, cook for 2-3 minutes longer.

Spoon into soup plates and serve with hot, crusty bread and butter.

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Believe me, you’re gonna need a lot of bread. Or soup spoons. You and your guests won’t want to waste a drop of that mustard cream sauce. Better still, make extra so you have leftovers the next day. You’ll thank me. And Bobby.

Deborah