Mussels in White Wine {For Two}

Last Thursday I channeled my inner French girl to make mussels in white wine for dinner. So happy I did as they were delicious!


One thing you should know about mussels ...
Apparently it isn't safe to eat dead mussels. Begin by getting rid of all of the mussels with cracked shells. Then put all of the mussels that are clamped shut in a bowl {these little suckers are good to go}. The mussels whose shells aren't clamped shut are either sleeping or dead. How do you tell if these little guys are just snoozing you ask? Bang each one of them on the counter {pretty hard as they are deep sleepers}. If the mussel closes, put him in the bowl with the other guys. If they don't, discard. Nate and I went through a couple rounds of beating the mussels. Waking up more and more mussels with each round. Originally over half of our mussels were cracked open. By the end, most of them ended up in the pot as dinner! Weird concept, I know. But safety first!

To Make Mussels for Two, You'll Need:

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds Mussels {alive and cleaned!}
• 2 leeks chopped {whites only}
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• Some fresh thyme sprigs
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Directions:

• Heat one tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon butter in the bottom of a large pot
• Add leeks, garlic and thyme sprigs and cook vegetables down on medium heat for about 5 minutes
• Add mussels and toss
• Add white wine {save the rest to drink with dinner}
• Cover and steam on medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Turn off the heat, add remaining two tablespoons of butter, drizzle with olive oil and stir to incorporate
• Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley
• Serve immediately with lots of garlic crostini {happy dunking!}