Mussels in White Wine

Mussels in White Wine with Warm Crusty Bread

New day here in Brooklyn and I awoke with a craving for mussels. After having three days off in a row with nothing to show for it, I thought it was high time I write a new post. Now that the days are longer, I wanted to take full advantage of the natural light that pours through my kitchen window. Even with that, I’m still not completely satisfied with the quality of my photos. But I won’t allow that to hold me back.

Mise en place

I commuted to Manhattan to purchase some fresh mussels from Whole Foods. And when I got back home, I immediately began to prepare this dish. Above you’ll see the majority of my mise en place…dry white wine (a sauvignon blanc like pouilly fume works just fine), some lemons for their juice and zest, thyme, sage, parsley and rosemary, and one large onion. Other ingredients not shown in this photo are heavy milk, flour, and butter.

Pouilly Fume

I began by scrubbing the mussels in several changes of cold water, making sure that all of the mussels were tightly closed. I then put them in the fridge while I prepared the other ingredients. I melted 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot and gently sauteed one large onion that was finely minced and 4 smashed garlic cloves. I waited for the onions to turn slightly translucent and then I added 1 1/2 cups of pouilly fume, a little water (about 2/3 cup), the juice of one lemon and it’s zest, and finally 2 small spice bags where I inserted my bouquet garni which consisted of sage, parsley, thyme and rosemary. I brought this to a boil then covered and simmered for 4 – 5 minutes. Then I added the mussels and covered the pot tightly and simmered for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently until all the mussels have opened. Then I blended 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour with 2 tablespoons of butter in a food processor and began to add that mixture slowly into the pot. This will allow the white wine sauce to thicken. I finished the sauce off with a glug of heavy milk (about 4 tablespoons) and some chopped fresh parsley. Then I reheated gently and served with warm crusty bread. Brooklyn, EAT your heart out!