See Also: Appetizers · Cooking Club · Fish and Seafood · France
Moules Mariniere
From Dorothy McNett's recipes at www.dorothymcnett.com. Get the freshest mussels in their shells. You can use clams as well. This is so simple and tasty as an appetizer or a main dish served with lots of French bread or crispy croutons.
2 - 3 pounds fresh mussels in their shells
3/4 cup white wine (Riesling is great for this)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots (about 1/4-1/3 cup diced)
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 - 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
French bread slices or croutons, for serving
Wash the mussels in cold water, gently scrubbing with your hands and removing the grit and "beards". Discard any that are open and that do not close up quickly when touched. In a saute pan bring the wine to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook the mussels until they pop open, removing them one by one as they open to a serving bowl or bowls. They all should open with 4-5 minutes of gentle cooking, do not overcook. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a measuring cup. You should have 1/2 cup liquid remaining. Wipe the pan with a paper towel to remove any grit. Place back on the burner and melt the butter, adding the diced shallots and garlic. Cook and stir about 2 minutes, and then add the flour and salt, blending well. Slowly add the warm reserved cooking liquid, cooking and stirring (whisking) to get a nice smooth sauce, adding the minced parsley. Pour this over the mussels which have been arranged nicely in serving bowls or a big bowl. Serve with bread slices, and more white wine of course!
Recipe created 2014-06-16.
