Moules Marinières

Food

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Moules Marinières

(Mussels in white wine)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons chopped shallots (about 2 large shallots)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (1-2 cloves)
• 2 sprigs Italian parsley
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs tarragon
• 4 pounds live mussels (about 4 dozen), well scrubbed, rinsed, and de-bearded
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• Baguette for serving

A few notes on making this:

• This is a favorite meal of mine—the mussels are so delicious in the wine broth.
• Mussels cook quickly, but do take a little bit of prep to make sure they’re good to eat…
• When you buy them, keep in fridge in an open bag—they need to breathe—and cook them the same day.
• When ready to cook, put them in a large bowl and scrub them under cold water to get rid of any sand they might have, and pull any beards off the sides. Don’t fully submerge them under the water.
• Discard any mussels that are cracked or open. They should be tightly closed before cooking.

Directions

• In a large Dutch oven or pot with a tight fitting lid, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and herb sprigs (tie them together so you can easily remove them later), and cook, stirring, until fragrant and the shallots are soft, about 1 minute.
• Add the wine, pepper, and salt and bring to a boil.
• Add the mussels, cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the mussels are opened, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and discard any mussels that have not opened—they aren’t good to eat.
• Transfer the mussels and their liquid to a large, deep serving bowl and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
• Serve immediately with baguette slices, toasted if you prefer.

To toast baguette:

• Preheat the oven to 400° F.
• Place the bread slices on a large baking sheet and brush 1 side of each slice first with a piece of cut garlic clove, and then with the olive oil.
• Lightly season with the salt and pepper.
• Bake until light golden brown, about 8 minutes.
• Cool slightly on the baking sheet before handling or serving.