Steamed Mussels with Cream, Saffron, and Mint

This dish is prepared in much the same way as moules à la marinière except that cream is added to the sauce and the sauce is flavored with saffron and mint instead of parsley. These mussels are also presented differently than moules à la marinière—the top shell is taken off of each mussel, because scooping mussels out of two shells can be messy when the sauce contains cream. The sauce is brothlike, almost like a soup.