Mussels in White Wine

• 2T EVOO

• 2 small shallots, minced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4t red pepper flakes

• 2lbs fresh mussels, cleaned (see notes)

• 1/4c dry white wine

• 1/2c parsley, loosely packed

• 1 lemon, juiced + wedges for serving

• 1 baguette cut into thick slices and toasted

Heat EVOO in a dutch oven or stock pot. Add shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent.

Add garlic and red pepper flakes, continue to cook for another minute.

Add mussels, followed by white wine. Give the pot a stir.

Cover the pot and cook for 6-8 minutes, until mussels open up. Toast baguette while the mussels cook.

Stir in the parsley and lemon juice, move the opened mussels into a serving bowl. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened.

Serve with a baguette & extra lemon wedges, dipping into the broth for extra deliciousness.

Notes:

Cleaning and de-bearding mussels: Mussels are alive! Treat them as such. Buy mussels as closely to use as possible, clean your mussels as close to cooking as possible. To clean mussels place them into a bowl and cover with cold water, pour out the water. Fill the bowl with more water and pour into a colander, draining the mussels completely. Using a scrubbing brush clean any dirt or sand off the mussels (if you don’t have a brush you can rub the shells against each other to remove any debris). While cleaning the shells you want to de-beard the mussels, this is the little green fuzzy looking bit that generally hangs out of the flat side of the mussel. A sharp tug should remove this, don’t be afraid to use a little force. As you’re cleaning your mussels keep an eye out for any mussels that didn’t make the trip home. This includes mussels that don’t close when you lightly tap them on your counter and mussels with cracked shells. If you’re not sure you will know after cooking when they don’t open. After you’ve prepared your mussels put them back in a bowl - without any water, covered with a damp towel and refrigerate until you’re ready to use them.