The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood celebrates coastal cuisine and sustainable seafood, emphasizing the beauty of fresh, locally-sourced ingredients with a diverse array of recipes. I prepared the classic steamed mussels from this beautiful cookbook. This recipe for steamed mussels allows their delicate flavor to shine with hints of garlic, a splash of white wine and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
Most mussels these days already come cleaned and sorted through. A quick scrub under cold running water to clean the shell and a sharp tug to get rid of the beard, is all you need to do. As you clean and debeard the mussels, check to make sure their shells are tightly closed. If any mussels are open, tap them gently against the counter and discard any mussels that don’t close up within a few minutes. Whether you serve the mussels as an appetizer, a light lunch, or as part of a seafood spread, these tender mussels always leave a lasting impression. Serve the mussels with slices of fresh crusty bread to soak up the delicious broth.
Steamed Mussels
Ingredients
- 2 pounds mussels in the shell, rinsed and debearded
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil or a combination of both!
- 1/2 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic cloves- sliced into thin slivers or minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives for garnish
- Crusty french bread for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the mussels under cold running water. Scrub the shells thoroughly and pull out and discard the beards, the wiry substance that protrudes from between the flat sides of the shell. Drain the mussels thoroughly.
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the wine, lemon zest, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper and the cleaned mussels. Add a generous grind of freshly ground black pepper. Cover the pot tightly and bring the mussels to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the mussels until they open, abotut 4-5 minutes. Carefully look at the mussels and discard any that do not open. Divide the mussels and the broth into serving bowls and sprinkle with the chopped chives.