Equipment
Ingredients
Mussels & Velouté
- 500 g fresh mussels, cleaned and debearded
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 150 ml heavy cream
- 1 saffron threads
- 15 g unsalted butter
Sea Bass
- 2 sea bass fillets, skin-on, descaled
- 15 ml olive oil
- salt
- white pepper
Courgette Ribbons
- 2 courgette, washed
- 5 ml lemon juice
- 10 g unsalted butter
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 880 kcal
- Protein
- 60 g
- Carbohydrates
- 21 g
- Fat
- 54 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 1236 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 26 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 17 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 239 mg
- Potassium
- 1689 mg
- Calcium
- 166 mg
- Iron
- 11.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 180 mg
- Phosphorus
- 881 mg
- Zinc
- 5.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 593 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 50 mg
- Vitamin D
- 9.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 15 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 30.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.65 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.98 mg
- Niacin
- 7.0 mg
- Folate
- 157 mcg
- Water
- 514 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, slice the courgettes lengthwise into long, thin ribbons. Avoid the very seedy center. Set aside.
In the large pot over medium-high heat, melt 15g butter. Sauté the shallots and garlic for 2 minutes until softened but not browned.
Increase heat to high. Add the mussels and white wine. Cover tightly with a lid and steam for 3-4 minutes until mussels open. Discard any that remain closed.
Strain the mussels over a bowl to catch all the liquid (the fumet). Remove meat from shells and set aside (reserve a few in shells for garnish if desired). Discard shells and garlic.
Return the strained mussel liquid to the pot. Add saffron and simmer rapidly to reduce by half. Lower heat, stir in cream, and simmer gently until thickened slightly. Season with white pepper (salt likely unnecessary due to mussel brine). Keep warm.
Pat sea bass skin extremely dry with paper towels. Season flesh side with salt. Score the skin lightly 3 times.
Heat olive oil in the non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place fish skin-side down. Press firmly with a spatula for 30 seconds to prevent curling. Cook for 4-5 minutes until skin is crisp and golden. Do not move it.
Flip the fish. Cook for 1-2 minutes on the flesh side until internal temperature reaches 60°C/140°F. Remove from pan and rest.
While fish rests, wipe the skillet. Melt 10g butter over medium heat. Toss courgette ribbons with a splash of water and lemon juice for 60 seconds until pliable but still al dente. Add the reserved mussel meat to the warm soup to heat through.
Ladle the frothy saffron mussel soup into shallow bowls. Arrange a nest of courgette ribbons in the center. Place the sea bass, skin-side up, atop the vegetables. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- To achieve glass-like crispy skin, I recommend leaving the fish uncovered in the fridge for an hour before cooking to dry out the skin surface.
- Be very careful with salt in the soup base; mussels release ocean water which is naturally salty. Taste constantly.
- For an extra refined presentation, use an immersion blender to froth the soup just before serving (a technique called 'écumer').
- If using wild sea bass, the skin may be thicker; score it deeper to prevent curling during the sear.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Seafood is best consumed immediately. Store soup and fish separately.
Reheating: Gently warm soup on stovetop. Reheat fish in a low oven to preserve skin texture.
Troubleshooting
Fish skin is soggy or stuck to pan
Cause: Skin was not dry enough or pan was not hot enough before adding fish
Fix: Remove loose skin and serve flesh-side up (unfortunately loses the crispy texture)
Prevention: Scrape moisture off skin with a knife edge, pat with paper towel until bone-dry, ensure oil is shimmering
Soup is too salty
Cause: Mussel liquor was very saline and reduced too much
Fix: Add a splash of milk or more cream to dilute the salinity; squeeze of lemon juice helps balance it
Prevention: Taste the mussel liquor before reducing; dilute with a splash of water or unsalted stock if already very salty
Cultural Context
This dish draws heavily from the French coastal tradition of 'Mouclade' (curried creamy mussels) but deconstructs it to highlight the sea bass. The combination of shellfish emulsion and white fish is a hallmark of Brittany and Normandy cuisine, celebrating the duality of the catch.
