Steamed mussels with Cazadores blanco-lime-butter sauce

By Aaron Sanchez

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A delicious bowl of mussels served in a tequila-infused lime butter sauce to step up your seafood game.

YIELDS

45 Mins

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 medium shallot, sliced thinly 
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced finely
2 lbs PEI mussels, cleaned and debearded 
1/4 cup Cazadores Tequila Blanco
1 cup diced tomato, chopped
1 1/2 cups clam juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed
2 limes - 1 for seasoning, 1 cut into wedges for serving 
12-16 sprigs of cilantro, roughly torn 
Salt, to taste, if needed

Directions

Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy and wide, shallow-sided pot that has a matching lid over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the bottom of the pot and swirl the pan to coat the bottom fully with oil.
Once the oil is evenly coated and close to smoking, add the shallots and saute for two to three minutes, stirring frequently until the shallots are lightly browned.  Add the garlic and minced jalapeno, stir until aromatic and the garlic is lightly browned, another 30 seconds.
Add the Cazadores Tequila Blanco to deglaze the bottom of the pan, stirring to pick up any browned bits. Turn the heat to high and continue to cook until most of the tequila has been cooked off. 
Add the chopped tomatoes and clam juice and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, add the cleaned mussels and fit the lid tightly on the pot. Give the pot a side-to-side shake to distribute and settle the mussels into the cooking liquid.
Cook for four to five minutes until the mussels have begun to open, you can peek under the lid and give a quick stir to check for doneness.  
Once the mussels are cooked, use a slotted spoon or spider to remove the mussels from a serving dish. Discard any mussels that did not open during cooking. 
Over high heat, reduce the remaining cooking liquid for two to three minutes and taste. The liquid should be well seasoned and flavorful, not needing much salt, if any. 
Turn the heat off and add the cubed butter in stages, whisking to combine. Season the liquid with the juice of one lime to taste. 
Pour the seasoned liquid over the plated mussels and garnish with torn cilantro stems and additional lime wedges on the side. 
Serve alongside Spanish rice or crusty bread to absorb the flavorful liquid. Enjoy!