Well, it’s that time of year. V-Day is looming. I don’t mean to sound horribly cynical, but please, people. The rampant consumerism! The pressure to show that special person that you more than care, you CARE with CAPITALS. Pshaw. Show the people you love how much you love them every day, don’t save it for that one pink and red holiday a year! Having gotten that off my chest, writing about loving people and caring for them is actually making me feel kinda mushy. ❤️Awww… Maybe she does have a heart! 🤣
So I’m letting you in on my favorite recipe for a romantic dinner, not just for Valentine’s Day. Mussels in White Wine (or Moules Marinière) is a delightful dish for dinner à deux. Anything you eat with your hands is sexy, so for that alone this recipe should be on the top of your list! Mopping up the deliciously light wine sauce with fresh, crusty baguette is so moreish, you’ll probably need seconds. You can serve this as an appetizer or as a main course, depending on how hungry you are and what your plans for the rest of the evening are... 😁 For a lovely Belgian twist, serve the mussels with homemade french fries! Then it’s called Moules Frites and what wouldn’t french fries make even better? xoxo Donata
Ingredients
2 pounds (1 kg) mussels
3/4 cup (200 ml) dry white wine
3 tbsp butter
3 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
freshly ground pepper
Fresh baguette to serve
Instructions
1. Rinse and scrub the mussels under cold running water to remove any barnacles or dirt. Discard any with broken shells, and give any open ones a sharp tap with the handle of a knife: if they don't close, then they’re dead and need to be discarded. Pull out the beards (the jumble of fibers that the mussel uses to latch onto rocks, for example) by pulling them sharply towards the hinge end of the mussel. If you’ve bought farmed mussels, they should be fairly clean. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Melt the butter into a large pot on medium heat. Add the chopped shallots and minced garlic and sauté until soft. Add the white wine and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down, and cook gently for 10 minutes, then turn up the heat to medium-high.
3. Add the mussels into the pot. Cover and cook until most of them have opened: about 3 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
4. Add the chopped parsley and shake the pot well to distribute. Season moderately with freshly ground pepper, split onto two deep plates and serve immediately with the fresh baguette. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
