Purge/Brine the Mussels. Mix 1500g water, 500g ice, and 60g salt in a big bowl and stir until the salt dissolves. Then add in 450g mussels and let them soak for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Clean and Debeard Mussels. After purging, scrub the shell with a paper towel or a steel wool, then yank off the beard by pinching it against the shell and pulling toward the hinge. Set the cleaned mussels in the fridge until you're ready to cook. Discard any dead or broken mussels as you clean.

Prep the Aromatics and Bread. Finely chop 30g shallot and mince or press 30g garlic through a garlic press. Toss a baguette or chunk of bread into a 375°F / 190°C oven to refresh so it's hot and crispy when the mussels are done.

Sweat the Aromatics. In a saucier or dutch oven, combine 3 tablespoons oil and the shallot. Sweat over medium heat for 5 minutes until things are softened and translucent. Once the shallot and garlic are soft and sweet, add in a pinch of chili flakes and a few cranks of black pepper and fry for 30 seconds to bloom.

Bloom the Tomato Paste. Add 15g tomato paste to the pan and cook it for another 1-2 minutes, stirring so it darkens a shade and loses that raw, tinny edge.

Deglaze with Wine. Once the tomato paste is glazing the bottom of the pot, pour in 100g dry white wine and bring it up to a hard boil while scraping up any tomato bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the Mussels. Once the wine is boiling, add in the cleaned and purged mussels, bring the liquid back to a boil, put on a tight-fitting lid, and steam for about 2 and a half minutes, or until the shells have opened and the mussel meat looks plump and just cooked through.

Emulsify the Butter. Drop heat to low, then add in 60g cubed cold butter, pop on the lid and swirl the pan to emulsify the butter for around a minute or until the butter is fully melted.

Finish and Serve. Add 10g chopped fresh parsley, then taste the broth and adjust the salt if needed. Serve right away with the toasty crusty bread for soaking up the beautiful broth.