Steamed Mussels in White Wine Broth

Who here orders steamed mussels in a restaurant because they are amazing? That's what I thought. Most of you do, me included. I love love mussels and the broth is to die for, right? I always sop it up with bread at the end because I don't want any to go to waste. Well, today is your lucky day because I found out it is so easy to make at home! And it tastes the same as in the restaurant, I swear! The most important thing is to buy them fresh from a seafood counter, one that you trust. I bought mine from Wholefoods and guess what? They are not expensive! I bought 2 lbs for me and Adam as a late lunch, and that was plenty, for $6 and some change. It really is easy and inexpensive, but impressive. I may even prepare mussels as an appetizer for guests, that's how easy and delicious it is. The next most important thing is cleaning them well before steaming. I covered them in a large bowl with cold water and left them for 20 minutes. This way all the dirt and grit falls to the bottom of the bowl. Then you have to debeard them, which sounds weird, but mussels have excess vegetation that grows within the shell and they kinda stick out from the shell. They look like stringy, well, beards. So you have to pull each one out before you cook them. Then comes the fun part! Steam for 10 minutes and then you're done. You are left with a lovely broth, I made mine with white wine, chicken stock, shallots, butter and olive oil. Oh, and a squeeze of lemon juice. This resulted in A LOT of broth, even too much for me, so next time I may cut back on the chicken broth.

Steamed Mussels in White Wine Broth

adapted by inspired taste

2 lbs mussels (think 1 lb per person)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth (maybe 1/2 cup is better?)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

lemon wedge

1 Place mussels in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 20 minutes until all grit and dirt fall to the bottom of the bowl. After that, de-beard the mussels by pulling out the excess vegetation and discard. If any of the mussels are open, discard.

2 In a large pot heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Stir in shallots until softened, then garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in white wine, chicken broth and drained mussels.

3 Cover pot and steam over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

4 Serve immediately with chopped parsley and squeeze of lemon juice. I also added a pat of butter to swirl in at the end. YUM!