Moules Marinières

Ingredients

• 2 lbs live mussels in shell, cleaned and debearded
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 medium shallots
• ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic cloves
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme sprigs
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Inspect all 2 lbs of mussels carefully. Hold each one under cold running water and scrub the shell with a stiff brush to remove sand and debris. If any mussel has a broken shell or does not close when tapped gently, discard it. Use a small knife or your fingers to pull away the beard (the stringy fibers attached to the shell edge). Pat the cleaned mussels dry and set aside on a plate.

2. 2

   Peel and finely mince 2 garlic cloves on a cutting board. Trim the root ends off 3 medium shallots, peel away the papery skin, and slice them into thin rings. Roughly chop 0.25 cup of fresh parsley leaves and set aside. Pick the leaves from 3 fresh thyme sprigs and discard the woody stems.

3. 3

   Place a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter until it foams and turns fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the minced garlic and sliced shallots, stirring gently with a wooden spoon. Sauté until the shallots soften and turn translucent at the edges, about 2-3 minutes — you should smell sweet caramelizing aromatics rising from the pot.

4. 4

   Pour in 1 cup of dry white wine, scraping the bottom of the pot with your spoon to release any flavorful browned bits. Add 2 bay leaves and the thyme leaves, then season with 0.25 teaspoon of kosher salt and 0.125 teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil — you'll see large, vigorous bubbles breaking the surface.

5. 5

   Carefully add all the cleaned mussels to the pot in a single layer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and increase the heat to high. Steam for 5-7 minutes, shaking the pot gently by the handle halfway through — you should hear the mussels rattling inside. Stop cooking as soon as most of the shells have opened; discard any that remain tightly closed after 7 minutes, as they were dead before cooking.

6. 6

   Transfer the open mussels to two deep serving bowls using a slotted spoon, dividing them equally. Pour the hot broth over the mussels, distributing the shallots and garlic evenly. Scatter the chopped fresh parsley over the top of each bowl.

7. 7

   Serve immediately with crusty bread on the side for soaking up the flavorful broth. Provide empty bowls for discarded shells and small forks for extracting the tender mussel meat from the shells.

Tools you’ll need

• large heavy-bottomed pot with tight-fitting lid
• stiff-bristled vegetable brush
• small knife
• cutting board
• wooden spoon
• slotted spoon
• deep serving bowls

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