Steamed Mussels with White Wine Broth

PREP 25 mins, COOK 15 mins, TOTAL 40mins

Makes 2 generous servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds mussels, cleaned
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup (236 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 cup (118 ml) dry white wine
• Splash heavy cream
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• Lemon wedges, for serving
• 1 baguette, warmed for serving

PREPARATION

• Melt butter in a large pot with a lid over medium heat. When the butter begins to bubble, stir in the shallot and garlic. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock, white wine, and mussels then give them a good toss. Cover the pot with its lid and cook until all the mussels have opened; 6 to 10 minutes. If any mussels do not open, discard them.
• Remove the pot from the heat, then stir in the cream and parsley. Taste the broth, and then adjust to taste with salt, pepper, or more cream.
• Serve in big bowls with lemon wedges and plenty of warmed bread to sop up the broth.

TIPS

How to Clean Mussels: Look through the mussels. If you find any cracked, chipped, or open mussels, discard them. Most mussels will have a “beard,”which is just the fibers that emerge from the mussel shell. It’s best to remove this. To remove it, hold a mussel in one hand using a dry towel. Then, pull the beard out and away from the mussel with your other hand. Sometimes it can be a bit tricky to remove, but will eventually come out. Finally, use a firm brush to remove extra sand and the odd barnacle. Rinse the cleaned mussels under cold water, and then move on to cooking them.

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