Steamed Mussels

I really wanted to make something different for dinner tonight. I looked at the Hen House website to see what they had on sale this week. Then I saw that they had 2-lb bags of fresh black mussels for $7.99...perfect! I researched some recipes and found the perfect one from eatingwell.com. They had many mussel recipes but I went with steamed mussels in a tomato broth (I tweaked it some). This recipe is super easy, healthy and full of flavor!

Ingredients:

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium or large yellow onion

4-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tomatoes on the vine and 1 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup dry white wine,  I used Chardonnay because thats what I had in the fridge

2 pounds of mussels

How to clean your mussels:

If you are not planning on using your mussels right away, store them in the fridge in their bag so they can breathe, you do not want to suffocate them. Remember mussels are alive when you buy them and you want to keep them alive until you cook them. 

Scrub the mussels with a brush under cold water and scrape off any barnacles with a knife. If the byssus, or beard, is still attached (most cultivated mussels have been trimmed mechanically), remove it by pulling if from tip to hinge or pulling and cutting it off with your knife. Do this just before cooking. 

Discard any mussels with cracked or open shells (they are dead and unsafe to eat).

Preparation:

1. Warm oil in a large pot on medium to low heat, once heated add garlic and onions, stir, until golden and soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add tomatoes, increase heat to high and stir for 1-2 minutes. Pour in wine and bring to a boil. 

2. Add mussels, cover and steam, occasionally giving the pan a vigorous shake, until all the mussels have opened, 3-4 minutes. Discard any that do not open, this means that they are dead and unsafe to eat. Transfer the mussels to a serving bowl. Spoon the broth over the mussels and ENJOY!! 

- Jane