Quick and Easy Mussels

I love seafood!  Living on the West Coast has allowed me to expand my cooking horizons and experiment.  I had the most delicious mussels at a restaurant in Vancouver called Cardero's and they were to die for!  Since then I've been toying with the idea of cooking mussels at home...they're on my cooking bucket list!  So lucky me when I saw fresh P.E.I (Prince Edward Island) mussels at Costco.  I hummed and hawed, asked Ty if he wanted to try them and we thought to give it a go!  Plus the price was right-$11.99 for a honkin' package!  So don't be scared to cook mussels, like I was, because this is a foolproof recipe that you will love!

White Wine Steamed Mussels

You'll Need

mussels

3 cloves garlic

3-4 stalks of celery

3-4 carrots

Olive Oil

White Wine, Sauv Blanc or Pino Grig

Crushed Coriander Seed

Fresh Parsley

Lemon juice

Butter

Salt and Pepper

Thankfully the mussels I picked up from Costco were very clean-I didn't have to wash or debeard any of them.  I did give them a rinse in a colander under cold water just in case!  PS I only used have this package and it was more than enough for two people! 

Heat oil in deep frying pan or dutch oven.  I used a  a deep frying pan and it worked great.  Having a larger surface allows the mussels to cook more evenly!

Add celery, carrots and garlic and coriander seed. 

Saute for about 2 minutes or until softened.

Increase the heat and add the mussels and wine.  I used probably 2-3 cups of wine.  You would also use 1/2 water and 1/2 wine if you wanted.  Cover the mussels and allow to steam for about 5 minutes or until all the shells are opened.

Scoop out the mussels with a slotted spoon and transfer to serving dish.  Discard any mussels that haven't opened!  The only way to tell if a mussel is 'bad' or 'good' is after they've cooked. 

Don't eat mussels that haven't opened!

Bring the broth to a simmer and add 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, a dollop of butter, a tablespoon of lemon juice and salt and pepper.  You could also add some fresh tarragon!  Cook for a few minutes to blend all flavours and pour over cooked mussels. 

Serve straight away!

Serve with crusty bread to soak up the broth.....

possibly the best part of the dish!

This is, as Anthony Bourdain would say, food porn!

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