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By Root 500 0

them. I tend to use cream judiciously, with the precision of a rifle, saving the cream cannon for ice cream. Then, one day, while developing mussel recipes, I hit on a major exception to this rule. It was on this auspicious day that Cream met Guinness, and a romance was born. Guinness elevated Cream into a decadent, malty, richer version of itself, and Cream elevated Guinness by rounding its caramel and chocolate edge with a warm white blanket. They lived happily ever after.

SERVES 4 AS A LIGHT DINNER

Scrub and debeard the mussels.1

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil; when it is hot, add the shallots and salt. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until the shallots are lightly browned. Add the cayenne, Guinness, cream, horseradish, honey, and mussels. Toss the mussels, coating them with the sauce. Cover the pot, turn the heat to high, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir the mussels, and when most of them have opened, transfer them with a slotted spoon to a large serving bowl. (Any mussels that do not open can be pried open using an oyster shucker or discarded.) Boil the sauce gently until reduced by half. Turn off the heat, swirl in the butter and parsley, taste for seasoning, and pour the sauce over the mussels. Serve with bread to dip in the Guinness cream.

PAIRING: Guinness beer, but of course.

mussels with apple cider and thyme glaze

2 pounds mussels

¼ cup hard apple cider, such as

Hornsby’s

2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1

teaspoon chopped fresh

thyme

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 tablespoons minced shallots

¾ cup apple or pear cider

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

¼ cup clam juice

1 tablespoon grainy Dijon

mustard

1 teaspoon chopped capers

Salt and freshly ground pepper

It seems that most mussel recipes fall into two camps. The first camp has mussels mingling with garlic, tomatoes, parsley, and white wine. It’s a nice camp: familiar, warm, and predictable. The second camp is more exotic, and there is where you’ll find mussels dipped into a curry broth of coconut milk and chilies. I like both camps. I’ve been to them, many times. But I’d like to take you to a different camp—a camp where mussels hang out with mustard and thyme and apple cider. I think you’ll like it here.

SERVES 4 AS A LIGHT DINNER

Scrub and debeard the mussels.2

Add the hard apple cider and thyme sprigs to a pot over high heat. Add the mussels, cover, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the mussels open. (Any mussels that do not open can be pried open using an oyster shucker or discarded.) Transfer the mussels to a large heatproof bowl, and cover to keep warm. Strain the mussel liquor through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the shallots and cook for about 1 minute, or until they are fragrant. Add the reserved mussel liquor, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and clam juice. Cook until the sauce is reduced by three quarters, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard, chopped thyme, and capers. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pour the sauce over the mussels.

PAIRING: A Savennières, such as Domaine Jo Pithon “La Croix Picot” 2008, Loire Valley, France, or an Alsatian pinot gris.

mussels with pancetta and vermouth

2 pounds mussels

¼ cup dry white vermouth or

dry white wine

2 ounces pancetta, prosciutto,

or bacon

¼ cup finely minced shallots

Zest of 1 lemon (about 2

teaspoons), plus lemon juice

for finishing

¼ teaspoon cayenne

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons minced fresh

Italian parsley

¼ cup panko or bread crumbs

2 ounces (½ cup) grated

Manchego cheese

Rock salt, for serving

My friend Ashlyn introduced me to a version of this recipe. She grew up in Louisiana and Mississippi and loved eating Oysters Bienville, a famous dish from New Orleans, which she then adapted by replacing the original seafood with mussels. In honor of Ashlyn, I’d like to tell you her favorite one-liner that she says every single time I mention I’m cooking mussels (or clams, or oysters, for that matter): “Vanna,” she