Steamed mussels in white wine

I’ve always found the idea of cooking mussels a bit scary, but they were the obvious choice for our Belgian World Cup dinner. (Either that, or a jumbo box of Leonidas…) Turns out they were pretty straightforward and quick to prepare, even though I bought  twice as many as we needed – especially as Lyra ended up eating dinner at a friend’s house, and Nova ate only one…  Expecting to be tied up with the mussels, I opted for oven chips – which were a bit meh.

Steamed mussels in white wine
(serves 2)

• 
1 kg fresh mussels, bought the same day
• 1 Tb olive oil
• 
1 Tb butter
• 1 onion
, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 
1 cup (8 oz) chicken or vegetable stock
• 
1/2 cup (4 oz) dry white wine
• 3 Tb cream
• 
3 Tb parsley, chopped
• 
salt and pepper

1. Sort through the mussels, discarding any that are chipped, broken or open. Fill the sink or a large bowl with cold water and add the mussels, leaving them to sit for 20 minutes. Rinse the mussels well, and remove any beards by pulling them towards the hinged end.
2. Place the mussels in a fresh bowl of fresh, cold water.
3. In a large pot with a tight fitting lid, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for five minutes, until softened.
4. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the wine, stock and mussels. Cover with a lid and steam  for 8-10 minutes or until all mussels open. (Discard any mussels that don’t open.)
6. Serve with French bread for soaking up the broth.

Family score: 7.8 out of 10

Tags: Belgian food, gluten-free, mussels