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Mussels: Mussels in Steamed White Wine

Source of Recipe


From "The Way to Cook"






List of Ingredients



• 4 Tbsp butter
  
• 1 cup minced onions
  
• 1 large clove of garlic, puréed (optional)
  
• A large handful of chopped fresh parsley
  
• 4 quarts of fine fresh mussels, prepared for cooking *
  
• 2 cups dry white French vermouth, or dry white wine
  






Instructions



1. Melt the butter in a 6- to 8-quart kettle with a tight-fitting lid, stir in the onions and optional garlic, and cook slowly for several minutes, until limp. Then add the parsley and the mussels, cover the kettle, and shake once to mix all the ingredients.
   
   
2. Pour in the vermouth or wine and shake once again. Turn heat to high, cover tightly, and let steam for 3 to 4 minutes (without shaking again, in case of sand), just until the mussels have opened.
   
   
3. To serve, dip the mussels out, shells and all, into soup bowls. Tip the kettle and ladle the fragrant cooking liquor into each serving, being careful not to include any sand at the bottom of the kettle. Serve with French bread and chilled dry white wine.
   
   Makes 6 servings.
   
   






Final Comments


* Before cooking, be sure mussel shells are tightly closed. Keep mussels well iced. Carefully look over each mussel; it should have a sweet, fresh smell. Scrape off the beards (the hairy tufts protruding from one side of the shells). Cultivated mussels rarely have sand in the shells, and now usually come ready to cook.