Bouchot Mussels

Raised on wooden poles in the sea, they are fleshy and free of sand. Their cooking is a matter of seconds: plunged into a boiling, acidic steam atmosphere (white wine, shallots), the thermal shock causes the adductor muscle to yield, opening the shell. It is imperative to remove them immediately from the heat upon opening to stop the coagulation of their albumin, otherwise risking shrunken, mealy flesh. Their salty vegetative water then emulsifies perfectly with a knob of cold butter.