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Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
1009 | Calories |
26g | Fat |
59g | Carbs |
113g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 2 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 1009 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 26g | 34% |
Saturated Fat 8g | 38% |
Cholesterol 269mg | 90% |
Sodium 1692mg | 74% |
Total Carbohydrate 59g | 21% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 6% |
Protein 113g | |
Calcium 289mg | 22% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
This is a spin on the classic recipe for French steamed mussels—you know, the big bowl of mussels bathed in white wine, butter, and garlic.
This dish exudes a certain sophistication, and it works for a casual dinner party. It's both easy and quick, but like all such recipes, the quality of the ingredients matters a lot.
Buy the best mussels and good, sweet butter and use a white wine you'd drink yourself. Figure on 1 pound of mussels per person for the main course.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds mussels (live)
- 1 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
- 2 green onions (chopped or 1 chopped shallot)
- 2 green garlic shoots (chopped or 2 cloves chopped garlic)
- 3/4 cup white wine
- Optional: crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Scrub and debeard the mussels. The "beard" is the fibrous hairy thing hanging from one side of the tasty bivalve. Pull it off with a side-to-side motion.
Tip
In case you are wondering, a mussel is alive if it reacts. Its shell should be closed. If it is open, set the mussel on the kitchen counter for a bit. It may close when you are not looking. If it doesn't open, discard it.
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Heat the butter over medium-high heat in a large, wide-bottomed pot with a lid like a Dutch oven. Sauté the green onions or onion until soft but not browned.
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Add the garlic cloves if you are using them; if you are using the green garlic shoots, leave them out for now.
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Add the white wine—like a Chenin Blanc or something crisp, but any decent white wine will work—and bring it to a boil. Add the mussels in one layer if possible.
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Cover the pot and let the mussels steam for 3 to 8 minutes. After 3 minutes, check the mussels; many should be open. You want them all open, but some will do this faster than others.
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As soon as most of the mussels are open, turn off the heat and toss in the green garlic if that's your garlic choice. If you want a little more heat, add optional crushed red pepper flakes, as desired. Cover for a minute while you prepare bowls and plates.
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Spoon out plenty of mussels and broth, which should be briny enough not to need any more salt. Throw out any mussels that did not open.
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Serve with crusty bread, more white wine (a good choice is the one you used to cook with), and don't forget an extra bowl for the shells.
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Enjoy.