Mussels PROVEN(cal) Tasty

Recipe Origin: 

France

Serves:

2 Healthy Appetites/4 Small Appetites

A Word on Mussels:

So, I have always been a self-professed hater of all things seafood. Now, in recent years, I've ventured into the land of seafood with an open mind. Surprisingly, I have developed quite a taste for shellfish. Weird, right? I still get sick at the thought of eating the uber-fishy standard salmon. In keeping with an environmentalist's heart, my husband and I are always looking for the most sustainable and safe seafood options. Mussels are among the best. They are pure protein, low-calorie, and high in various vitamins and minerals. Added bonus: they are pretty darn cheap, too!

Mussels are best cooked fresh, especially if you are located many miles away from the ocean, like me. Typically, I'll buy mussels the day I plan to cook them. Be sure to take them out of any plastic. You should also wrap a damp towel around them to keep them moist. Do not soak the mussels, unless you do so in fresh ocean water (and who is going to do that?).

Preparation:

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds of fresh mussels
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (more if you are a garlic-lover like me)
• 3-4 thinly sliced leeks (white and light green portions)
• 2-3 tomatoes diced (romas work wonderfully)
• 2 tablespoon butter, cut into small cubes
• 3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Cleaning the Mussels:

Having made this dish several times, I have tried a few different methods for cleaning and filtering the mussels, and I believe I have found an excellent method! About 40 minutes before you plan to cook, take out your mussels and put them in a large bowl filled with water, about 2 Tbsp salt, and a handful of flour. I typically put these back in the fridge for about 30 minutes. The mussels will filter out the sand during this time, and it truly works. While waiting for the mussels to filter the sand out, I prep the rest of the ingredients so that I'm ready to go. The final step in cleaning the mussels is to scrub and de-beard them. Scrub the outside of the shells, running them under cold water, and discarding any with open shells, which indicates that they are dead, and therefore inedible. Some mussels will have a "beard" which are tiny fibers used to attach the mussel to things. The beard is located along the seam of the mussel, near the "hinge" portion. To remove the beards, hold the mussel in one hand and tightly grasp the beard, pulling it toward the "hinge" portion of the shell. You can also use a sharp knife to cut the beard off. I prefer to use my hands to rip the beard off- it is quite stress-relieving. Once your mussels are scrubbed and "clean-shaven," you are ready to go!

Cooking:

1. Combine the wine, garlic, and leeks in a saucepan or pot (large enough to hold the mussels). Bring the wine to a boil, uncovered, cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  

2. Add the mussels to the pot, along with the bay leaves, cooking at med-high temperature. Cover for about 4-5 minutes. The mussels should be starting to open. 

3. Stir in the butter, parsley, and tomatoes. Add the lemon juice. Cook, uncovered until the broth reduces until about half and the mussels are open. This should be about 5 minutes. While waiting, warm up a nice crusty bread in the oven. The broth is absolutely heavenly and is perfect for soaking up with some toasty bread.

4. Using tongs, take out the mussels and place them evenly in warmed bowls. Throw away any mussels that have not opened. Crank the heat to high and reduce the broth. Taste the broth and add sea salt and pepper, as needed. Ladle the broth over the mussels. Serve immediately with the crusty bread.

5. At the conclusion of the meal, do yourself a favor and take the trash out. Those shells and discarded mussels won't take long to start smelling terrible. 

Variations:

• A dry red wine works as nicely as the white, if you prefer it.
• This is a relatively light meal, or nice starter, but can be made into a heartier meal, when adding to fresh pasta. 
• When in season, I prefer to use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, cut in half.
• Butter can be optional--it compliments the shellfish very nicely, and 2 Tbsp over 3 pounds of mussels really isn't much.
• I tend to be a little heavy-handed on the lemon juice, add it to your preference. Also, I am not much of a salter, especially with mussels, since they are naturally salty. So, as always, taste before seasoning.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! This a super-easy recipe for your first time with shellfish. Let me know how you like it!

-Carly