MUSSELS IN SAFFRON WHITE WINE SAUCE

Chances of setting off a fire alarm is low. Chances of this dish being gone in 10 minutes is high.

Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings

1 ½ pounds mussels cleaned

1 cup of chicken stock

7-8 threads of saffron

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter

1 small onion finely chopped

1 small tomato diced

6 cloves of garlic

A big pinch of red pepper chili flakes

½ tablespoon of ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

A few cracks of fresh pepper

1 cup of dry white wine

1 can of coconut milk

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon of thyme

1 tablespoon basil

1 tablespoon coriander

salt & pepper

toasted loaf of bread

Directions

Clean the mussels

Step One
In a sauce pot, heat the chicken stock to just below boiling. Remove from heat and mix the saffron in, cover and set aside for later.

Step Two
In a deep pot, over medium heat, add butter and oil. Saute onion and tomato until the onions are soft. Add the garlic, chili pepper, ginger, turmeric, and cracked pepper. Cook until fragrant.

Step Three
Add the cup of white wine to the pot and simmer until wine is reduced by a bit (2-3 minutes). Add the saffron and chicken stock mixture to the pot and simmer once more (4-5 minutes), reducing by a third. Pour in the coconut milk, lemon zest and juice, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Make sure the coconut milk is well mixed in and simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Step Four
Toss the mussels into the pot, cover with a snug fitting lid, and steam for 2-4 minutes. The goal is to not look and also not over cook; let your anxiety decide when to pull the lid off. The mussels are done when the shells open up; any not opened should be discarded.

Serve the mussels and sauce immediately with bread. 

In the Rotation

A collection of adapted recipes that avoid setting off the smoke alarm in small apartments. From the curated list of the favorite meals that enter into the rotation of Will Scheideler and September McCarthy.

© 2025