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Moules au champagne et au safran (ou pas) - one pinch saffron threads (optional) - 1.8 kilograms (4 pounds) fresh, live mussels, about 2.5 liters (see note) - 15 grams (1 tablespoon) butter - 4 small yellow onions, about 250 grams (9 ounces), finely minced - 1 clove garlic, finely chopped - 240 ml (1 cup) dry champagne, or other dry white wine, sparkling or not - freshly ground black pepper - 2 handfuls flat-leaf parsley, snipped - 2 to 4 rounded teaspoons crème fraîche, or sour cream

Lamb and Orange Khoresh - 4 organic oranges, about 700 grams (1 1/2 pounds) total - 30g (2 tablespoons) butter - 2 tablespoons sugar - 1 tablespoon olive oil - 1.8 kilos (4 pounds) lamb, half from the shoulder and half from the neck (bone-in), cut into 4-cm (1 1/2-inch) cubes - 400 grams (14 ounces) yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon - 4 pods green cardamom, smashed with the blade of a knife - a pinch saffron threads (optional) - 1 lime - 600 grams (1 1/3 pounds) carrots, peeled and thinly sliced - 2 tablespoons orange flower water - 40 grams (1/3 cup) unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped - a handful of fresh mint leaves - salt, pepper Serves 6.

Prepare the candied orange peel. Wash 3 of the oranges well and use a vegetable peeler to peel off the very surface of their peel: the goal is to get the orange part and as little of the white as possible. Cut the peel in matchstick-size strips (I use kitchen shears). Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan, add the orange peel and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Add the butter, sugar, and a good pinch of salt. Melt over medium heat and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the pan smells like salted butter caramel and the strips are lightly browned. Don't overcook or they will be bitter. Lift the peels from the pan with tongs or a slotted spoon, letting the melted butter drip down, and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to cool. Reserve the butter that remains at the bottom of the pan. (This can be made a day ahead.)

Cook the stew. Heat the oil and reserved butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (I use my cast-iron cocotte) over medium heat. Add the meat without crowding (you may have to work in two batches) and cook for a few minutes on each side until browned. Set aside on a plate. Pour in a little water to deglaze the bottom of the pot, add the onions, sprinkle with a little salt, and cook for a few minutes, until soft. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and saffron, and cook for a minute to toast the spices. In the meantime, squeeze the juice from the lime and 2 of the oranges (one of them now naked). Return the meat to the pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour in the citrus juices, and add a little water so the liquids almost cover the meat but not quite. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every once in a while. Add the carrots 30 minutes before the end of the cooking. Segment the 2 remaining oranges and add the segments to the pot 10 minutes before the end of the cooking. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the orange flower water at the last minute, and serve with basmati rice (I opted for brown basmati rice) and a sprinkle of candied orange peel, pistachios, and mint cut into strips -- I just passed these toppings around in small bowls for each guest to help himself.