Mussels in saffron cream sauce

Ever since I tasted this preparation for the first time,it has become my favorite and only way of preparing the mussels. It always gathers a big success at home , which all of us love to eat, especially my teddies, not only because of the yummy preparation of their darling mother (It?s me, yeah, me) but also because it?s so easy for them to finish ( no dragging at the table, no saying ?Maman, je ne veux plus?? ?Papa, j? ai trop mangé? etc) and because they find it interesting to eat with their hands and also for the French fries which accompany the dish.

Cheap and nutritious, about 55 calories per 100g mussels they are a great source of protein, vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, iron and metabolism-boosting selenium, and are so easy to cook yet absolutely succulent when cooked in a rich and unctuous sauce flavored with white wine, fresh herbs, cream and saffron resulting in a delicious seafood treat, which always makes us come back to the pot for more.

Hope you'll enjoy this dish with your family as much as we do.

Ingredients:
4 kg Mussels (Count 4kg for 6 persons) (We are 4 at home, I used 4kg, there was not a single mussel left in the pot at the end of the meal, so? reduce or increase according to your needs)
1 bouquet garni
(If you don?t have then place 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs of thyme, 4 large parsley leaves with the stalks and 10 cm celery stalk with leaves, on a 10 cm sized green leek. Cover with another piece of green leek. Tie securely with a string, leaving a length of string attached so that the bouquet garni can be easily removed after cooking).
150g fresh cream
750 ml dry white wine
75 g butter
2 tbsp curry powder
½ tsp powdered saffron strands
¼ tsp Pepper
A handful each of fresh coriander and basil leaves
5 egg yolks ( optional)
80 ml cognac (optional)

Method:

Clean properly the mussels (Scrub with a stiff brush, then pull off / remove the beards . Place the mussels in very cold water and rub the shells together to remove any remaining debris. Rinse in several changes of cold water. Discard any mussels that stay open, cracked shells.)
Put them all in a big casserole along with the bouquet garni and the wine.
Cook closed on high flame until all the mussels are wide open.
Remove and strain through a muslin lined colander and separate the soup from the mussels and reserve.
Peel and chop the onions and the shallots very finely.
In a pan, add the butter, the onions and the shallots and gently soften the onions, add the reserved soup and reduce it on low flame, for about 30 minutes. Add the curry powder, the saffron and the whipped cream while whipping continuously. Add the mussels and all the fresh chopped herbs and cook for another 3 minutes on very low flame without letting the sauce boil.

Serve it piping hot, as soon as it is done, in individual bowls with some French fries.

Best with a White Côtes de Blaye or a Bougogne Aligoté. Bon Apétit!

Note: Whipping 5 egg yolks and 80ml of cognac along with the fresh cream and adding to the reduced sauce adds more richness to this sauce.