Steamed Mussels With Lime & Cilantro - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 lbs mussels
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
1 large jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 lime, juice and zest of, finely grated
1/2 cup white wine or 1/2 cup vermouth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup cilantro leaf, coarsely chopped
1/2 - 1 teaspoon chili sauce (optional) or 1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
kosher salt

Preparation

Rinse the mussels in a colander under cold water, scrub the shells throughly, remove the tough, wiry beards and discard any mussels with broken or gaping shells.
While the mussels drain, heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add carrot and jalapeno; saute, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and lightly brown, about 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and 1/2 tsp of the lime zest and saute until fragrant, 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and raise the heat to high.
As soon as the wine boils, add the mussels and cover the pot. Steam the mussels, shaking the pot once or twice, until the shells open, 5 - 6 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a large bowl and keep warm.
Return the pot with the cooking liquid to the heat add the cream, boil until the sauce reduces just a bit, 2 - 3 minutes.
Add 1-1/2 T of the lime juice, the cilantro and chili sauce, if using.
Taste and add more lime juice and salt if needed.
Ladle the mussels into wide, shallow bowls, pour some of the sauce over each portion and serve immediately.