Mussels in white wine broth

A classic bistro dish that’s easy to prepare at home!

I never knew how truly delightful mussels are were until the first time I ate some cultivated (farmed) ones. Prior to that, my family often dug mussels at low tide, carefully extracting their gleaming blueish-black shells from the sand. We’d put them in a bucket of salt water for a while, giving the molluscs time to expel some of the debris inside their shells. Despite our meticulous preparation, too often these foraged mussels were still gritty, occasionally even harbouring tiny, tooth-breaking pearls. Because cultivated mussels are grown floating in the ocean, in mesh bags attached to long ropes, they are extremely clean compared to their sand-collecting cousins, making them a pleasure to prepare and eat. Not only do mussels have a rich, meaty flavour, they are also very nutritious, high in protein and minerals while also low in fat, cholesterol and sodium. This is hands-down my favourite way to enjoy these treasures from the sea; be sure to serve this dish with lots of crusty bread to mop up the flavourful broth.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (900 grams) of fresh mussels in their shells
• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) butter
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) diced celery
• 1 cup (250 mL) white wine (can substitute with chicken broth but wine is best)
• few grinds black pepper
• pinch red pepper flakes (optional but delicious)
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) minced fresh parsley

Method

• Scrub mussels under cold, running water to remove the beards (fuzzy stuff that looks like lichen) – you may need a small knife to help with this task. Discard any mussels with broken shells or those that do not close up as they are being handled.
• In a large pot, melt butter.
• Sauté onion, garlic and celery over medium heat until soft.
• Add wine, black pepper and red pepper flakes to the pot; bring the mixture to a boil.
• Add mussels to the pot; cover and let simmer gently over medium-low heat until mussel shells have opened (this should take about 5 minutes).
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked mussels to two broad soup plates. Discard any mussels which have not opened.
• With a ladle, spoon the broth and vegetables over the mussels.
• Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Makes 2 generous servings.