[ ./recipes/sauces/mussel-mayonnaise.md ]
★ DUTCH · SAUCES
Mussel Mayonnaise.
SERVES
12
TOTAL
40m
ACTIVE
30m
LVL
MEDIUM
// SUMMARY
A deliberately thin mayonnaise built on mussel cooking liquid rather than water, sharpened with Dijon and white wine vinegar and studded with leaf celery, chives and pickled jalapeño. Yields about 500 ml. The mussels themselves get draped on the half shell around the bowl and dipped straight into it — but it is just as good with small shrimp, smoked mackerel, or simply on toasted sourdough.
// INGREDIENTS
| 4 | egg yolks (about 100 g, depending on egg size) | |
| 4 | tbsp | Dijon mustard |
| 70 | ml | white wine vinegar |
| 5 | tbsp | mussel cooking liquid |
| 1 | tsp | fine sea salt |
| 300 | ml | canola or sunflower oil |
| 4 | tbsp | finely chopped leaf celery (Chinese celery) |
| 12 | mussels, cooked and left on the half shell | |
| 0.5 | tbsp | finely chopped chives |
| 1 | tsp | finely chopped pickled jalapeños |
| 0.5 | tsp | freshly ground black pepper |
| 1 | lemon, zest only, grated | |
| — Olive oil, for drizzling | ||
// METHOD
- 01
**Cook the mussels** by the classic method — aromatics in the pot, mussels on top, pepper, white wine, lid on, high heat until they open. Pull the top shells off and let the mussels cool slightly **in their cooking liquid**, which is also where the 5 tbsp for the mayonnaise comes from.
- 02
In a blender, pulse the egg yolks, mustard, white wine vinegar, 5 tbsp of the mussel cooking liquid and the salt at **high speed** until smooth.
- 03
With the blender running at **medium speed**, add the oil **in a thin stream** until you have a thinnish mayonnaise. Thin is the goal here — do not chase a stiff mayo.
- 04
Add the leaf celery and pulse again just until combined.
- 05
Spoon into a serving bowl or small saucepan and finish with the chives, pickled jalapeños, black pepper and lemon zest. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top if you like.
- 06
Drape the mussels, still on their half shells, over the rim of the bowl around the mayonnaise — or serve them on the half shell in a separate dish.
// NOTES
- — Egg count: 4–5 yolks depending on size; what matters is roughly 100 g of yolk.
- — Why it's thin: the mussel liquid and vinegar are both loose, and that is intentional — it is a dipping and spooning sauce, not a sandwich spread. If it splits, drop a fresh yolk in a clean blender and stream the broken mixture into it.
- — Pickled jalapeños: the book uses its own recipe. Shop-bought jarred jalapeños are explicitly allowed.
- — Serving ideas from the book: small fresh shrimp, toasted sourdough, smoked mackerel, or as a dip for cooked mussels. Good with an aperitif.
- — Keeps 2–3 days in the fridge, covered. It contains raw egg yolk and mussel liquid, so treat it like fresh mayonnaise, not a jarred one.
- — Salt last: the mussel liquid is already salty. Taste before adding the full teaspoon.
// VARIATIONS
- → Without a blender: whisk by hand as for classic mayonnaise, adding the oil drop by drop at first. Harder work, and you will end up thicker.
- → Warmer, rounder: swap half the canola for a mild olive oil. Don't use all olive oil — the blender turns it bitter.
- → No mussel liquid: a good fish stock reduced by half gets you close, though it loses the specific sweetness.
// SOURCE
- Sergio Herman — Mussels