White Wine and Garlic Steamed Mussels

     I had never really thought about trying this in my own kitchen. Steamed mussels were an appetizer my dad ordered at a nice restaurant if it was a special occasion. It took me awhile to try them out; I'm so glad I did! My wife and I would split these from time to time, but I never saw myself trying this out in my own kitchen. Now that I know how easy (and relatively inexpensive) it is, I can't see myself paying for steamed mussels in a restaurant again.

     I didn't even get the idea for this until I noticed that the seafood section of my local grocery store was inundated with a shipment of fresh mussels (on sale) last week. They were everywhere. I passed though since I didn't know what to do with them. After a little research, I figured out what I wanted to do and went back. It only cost me $4 for a 2 lb. bag of mussels. The rest of the ingredients don't add up much. Honestly, it's at least 3 to 4 times cheaper than eating out, and it's just as tasty!

     I hope this works out for you. It made a great appetizer to supper tonight! If you're in the mood for mussels and want to try other options, go to www.discovermussels.com and find a recipe that suits you.

Steamed Mussels in White Wine Sauce

2 lb. fresh mussels, rinsed and beards removed

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 c. white wine

1/2 c. whole milk

1/2 c. chicken broth

2 tbsp. parsley, chopped

See, there's not much to round up.

     Rinse mussels under tap water. If any are not already closed, they should close when rinsed. Any that stay open during rinsing should be tossed. Also, make sure the beards are removed. These are the stringy-looking strands hanging outside the shell. They help attach the mussel to a stationary object underwater, but you don't want to eat this gritty part. Pull it away from the hinged part of the shell, and it should come off with a little bit of tugging. Set the mussels aside.

     In a pot or saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high to high heat, and saute the garlic. Add the white wine, milk, chicken broth, and mussels. Sprinkle the parsley over it all and cover.

     Cook about 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and remove any opened mussels to a shallow bowl (all but one of ours had opened after 5 minutes). Any unopened mussels should have opened after 2 more minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open. Pour the remaining mixture over the mussels in the bowl. You may not be able to fit all of the mussels in your bowl, so feel free to remove your pan from heat. Heather and I were able to both go back for seconds before all the mussels were gone.

     Serve the mussels with garlic toast, and tell yourself you'll never pay 20 bucks or more for this at a restaurant again!