Chilled Mussels with Mint Pistou

There’s not much that’s prettier than a mussel shell. In France, I’ve often seen mussels cooked, chilled, and placed back in their shells to make lovely hors d’oeuvres. It might be topped with a sharp mustard sauce or a bright green drop of mint pistou, which gives a springy contrast to the rich taste of the mussel while still amplifying the richness of the sweet meat.

The key to good mussels is editing them ruthlessly. Only use small blue-black Mediterranean-style mussels—not the b