These mussels make a showstopping appetizer for any get-together.
Mussels with White Wine-Tomato Sauce
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh mussels, debearded
- 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1⁄4 cup sliced garlic
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1⁄4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- French baguette, to serve
- Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with very cold water, and add mussels and cornmeal. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 hour. (This allows the mussels to expel their sand and any grainy bits.) Scrub mussels, and rinse well. For optimal food safety, examine mussels and discard any that have a damaged shell or remain open and will not close by tapping lightly on the shell.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat; add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Using a wooden spoon, break apart tomatoes into small pieces. Add mussels. Cover and simmer until shells open and mussels are thoroughly cooked, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard
- any mussels that do not open. Add cream and parsley, stirring until just combined. Spoon mussels into serving dishes with plenty of sauce. Serve with baguette, and garnish with parsley, if desired.
