Moules Marinieres
Recipe by Catherine Pla
Serves 4-6
Moules Marinieres
This simple and delicious dish is usually served with a French Muscadet de Sevres et Maine white wine, but you could substitute a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. The name means “sailor style mussels”, and since it comes together in under 15 minutes, this is fast food at its best.
3-4 pounds mussels
2 T butter
2 thinly sliced shallots
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, or 2 t dried
A little kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 c dry white wine, like Muscadet, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio
2 T minced fresh parsley
1. Scrub the mussels. Debeard if necessary: grab the beard and pull towards the hinge end of the shell. Farm-raised mussels are generally pretty clean. Discard cracked mussels or open ones that won’t close when tapped with another shell.
2. In a large Dutch oven or pot, at least six quarts, melt the butter and saute the shallots, bay leaf and thyme over low heat until the vegetables are soft but not brown. Add the wine and the mussels. Bring to a boil, cover pot and steam the mussels over medium heat until they open, about 4 minutes. Do not overcook.
3. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mussels from the pot to a large bowl. Discard any mussels that do not open.
4. Spoon the hot broth over the mussels, taking care not to disturb any sediment that may have accumulated in the bottom of the pot.
5. Sprinkle generously with black pepper and parsley and serve immediately with plenty of bread and butter and a chilled dry white wine.