Simple Cooking - Moules Marinieres

By Anthony Todd in Food on Aug 4, 2009 4:40PM

After a short hiatus, we're back in the kitchen! This week, we've cooked up a light, tasty summer supper which could serve as a main course (served alongside a salad and a big loaf of bread) or an appetizer served by itself. This is one of our favorite dishes, because it allows us to deceive our friends. It looks so fancy and tastes so fancy, but it is sinfully easy to make. The whole costs about $8, even if you buy the mussels at Whole Foods - they sell for between $4-5 a pound. It has a fancy French (or Belgian, depending on who you believe) name, which gives you an instant air of snobbery. Plus, you can use some of that dead bottle of white wine that's been sitting in your fridge for a month.

Our version of this dish is a bit spicy - if you don't like it that way, omit the chili pepper and include 1 tbsp. of lemon zest instead.

Moules Mariniers

1 pound mussels, scrubbed
1 and 1/2 cups white wine
4 cloves sliced garlic
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 cup white or yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 tsp dried thyme
3-4 large dried chilies, crushed between your fingers

Mussels are quite hardy but there are a few simple handling rules. If you have a long way to travel from your grocery store, ask for a bag of ice to keep them in. Don't tie them tightly in a plastic bag - they'll suffocate. When you get home, put them straight into the refrigerator. When you are cleaning them, discard any that are already falling open or that have broken shells.

In a large, high-sided pan with a lide, saute the garlic, onions and shallots in the olive oil. After about 3 minutes over medium-high heat, add the thyme, bay leaf and peppers. Let saute for about 1 minute, then add the white wine. After the wine finishes bubbling, add the mussels and cover. Let the whole thing cook over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes. Open up the pot, discard any mussels that haven't opened yet, and serve in deep bowls, with the liquid.