Creamy mussels

Ingredients List

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup hard dry cider or white wine
2 pounds mussels (see note)
2 to 3 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise, crème fraîche, or heavy (double) cream
1 tablespoon juice and 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lemon
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Additional homemade mayonnaise for serving
1 loaf rustic sourdough bread, thickly sliced, drizzled with olive oil, and broiled until heavily toasted

Wash and set the mussels in water to cast out any remaning sand or grit (then do your prep)
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks, shallot, garlic, and bay leave. Season lightly with salt and heavily with black pepper and cook, stirring, until vegetables are very soft but not browned, about 10 minutes.
Increase heat to high and add cider or wine. Bring to a boil and let reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Add mussels, stir, cover, and cook, shaking pan constantly and peeking every 30 seconds to stir. As soon as all the mussels are open, transfer mussels to a bowl using tongs. Place pan lid over bowl to keep mussels warm.
Remove from heat and whisk in remaining butter along with mayonnaise or crème fraîche (if using). Return mussels to pot, add parsley, lemon juice, and lemon zest, stir to combine, then transfer to a warm serving bowl. Serve immediately with additional mayonnaise (if using) and broiled bread."