Green Mussels With Mustard-and-Roasted- Pepper Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• 40 (about 3 pounds) New Zealand green mussels or other large mussels
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 sprigs thyme
• ¾ cup homemade mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 ¼ teaspoons hot Chinese-style mustard powder
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, skinned, seeded and chopped
• Kosher salt to taste
• Fresh thyme leaves for garnish

6 first-course servings

Preparation

1. Scrub the mussels, and use a paring knife to remove any beards that protrude from the shells. Place the mussels in a large bowl of very cold water to soak briefly.
2. In a large kettle, bring the wine to a boil and add the thyme sprigs. Drain the mussels and add them to the kettle. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until they open, about 5 minutes. (Discard any that do not open.) Set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, in the container of a blender, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard powder and roasted pepper. Blend until smooth. Scrape into a bowl, season to taste with salt and refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Break the mussel shells apart, discarding the tops and leaving the meat attached to the bottoms. Divide among 6 plates and top each mussel with 1/2 teaspoon of the mustard sauce. Sprinkle each with a pinch of thyme leaves and serve.

40 minutes