This dish was served at the original Ritz Carlton NYC and Maxwell’s Plum, a recipe adapted from Louis Diat’s original notes.
This recipe is from my demo at the Aspen Food & Wine Festival, Classic Lost NYC: A tribute to restaurants we’ve loved and lost.
Louis Diat’s Moules Poulette
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 4 shallots, minced
- 8 ounces white wine
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 2 quarts fresh mussels, scrubbed, washed and de-bearded (get large plump heavy blue or black mussels)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup pureed pan roasted mushrooms (8oz fresh mushrooms, chopped, browned in butter, cooled and pulsed to a coarse puree in a food processor)
- 4 tablespoons cream sauce (see below)
- Salt and white pepper
Cream Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 cups boiling milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Place half the butter in a large saucepan/pot and cook the shallots over medium heat.
Add half the parsley and the wine. When it boils, add the mussels. Cover for 4-5 minutes.
When the mussels open they are done. Place them on serving dishes on the half shell.
Reduce the cooking liquid by 2/3rds.
Whisk in the remaining butter. Add the lemon juice, mushrooms, the remaining parsley and the cream sauce.
Season with salt and white pepper and pour over the mussels.
Cream Sauce
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and whisk together. Cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat.
Add the milk gradually, whisking. Add the salt and heavy cream. Simmer very slowly for 1 hour.
Strain through cheesecloth.
When using with seafood, season with 1 or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice (Chef Diat’s own note).
