MUSSELS WITH GARLIC, WHITE WINE AND LEMON

Mussels with Garlic, Lemon and White Wine

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 4 lbs black mussels, rinsed and debearded, see note below

• 6 Tbsp Butter

• 1 Tbsp Extra virgin Olive Oil

• ¾ c Shallots, diced (about one large shallot)

• 3 small Leek Stalks, finely chopped only white parts

• 2 ½ Lemons; 1 zested, 1 ½ juiced, 1 cut into wedges

• 1 ¼ c White Wine, use what you like to drink

• 1 Bay Leaf

• 2 Tsp fresh Thyme, just pulled off stem, quick dice

• ⅓ c Fresh Parsley, chopped

• 3 Garlic Cloves, minced

• 1 ½ Tsp Black Pepper

• ¼ Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

• Crostinis or Crusty Bread

Directions

1. In a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat, melt 3 Tbsp butter and olive oil.

2. Add the shallots, leeks, thyme and bay leaf and saute for 4 minutes.

3. Add the garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and saute for 1-2 minutes.

4. Turn the pan up to medium high heat.

5. Add the mussels to the pan (see note below) and the white wine and cover the pot.  

6. Cook for about 4 minutes or until the mussels have opened and move the pan back and forth occasionally.

7. Turn off heat and add the rest of the 3 Tbsp of butter, lemon juice and pepper and give it a good stir. Remove the bay leaf.

8. Add the mussels, remove any that did not open and all the juices to a large serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley.

9. Garnish the bowl with lemon wedges and serve with crostinis or crusty bread for dipping in the juices.

Note on cleaning Mussels: 

Place the mussels in a colander under cool running water and scrub the outside and pull the beards off if present.  Prior to cooking, discard any that don’t close when you touch them.  After cooking, discard any that do not open.

To remove the beard, just grab it and pull toward the hinge of the mussel shell.  If it is not easy to remove, use a knife to gently scrape it off.