his is a dish i made for my parents and myself for dinner sunday night. i think this recipe could use a few improvements, but i'm going to post it anyway. next time i think i will try adding some saffron or crushed tomatoes and more garlic.
MUSSELS WITH WHITE WINE
4lbs of mussels
cold water
1/3 cup of flour or cornmeal
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 large leeks, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 and 1/2 cups dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc or pinot gris (grigio)
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1. place the mussels in a large bowl, cover with the cold water and flour/cornmeal. soak for at least 30 minutes (an hour is better) so they can release their grit. discard any open shells, as this indicates a dead mussel. if your mussels have beards, go ahead and debeard them after they finish soaking. there is a good tutorial on that here.
2. heat the butter and olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. add the leeks and cook until tender and somewhat translucent, about 7-10 minutes. add the shallots and the garlic and cook until tender, another 3-5 minutes.
3. add all of your wine and allow it to come to a simmer. add all of the mussels and cover. note: the cooking liquid will not be enough to cover the mussels. you are actually using the liquid to steam them, not simmer them. cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the shells open. as soon as the shells open, the mussels are done.
4. serve the mussels in a shallow bowl with some of the cooking liquid. i grilled some sourdough bread to accompany them.
on a personal note, i need some mama advice. over the last few days it's as if sylvie has forgotten how to use a bottle. every time we offer it she coughs and spits it all out. i don't think it is a nipple issue. we have been using the same bottles/nipples for months now and she's never had a problem. they have 3 flow speeds built in and we've tried them all. do you mamas out there have any advice for me? have any of you experienced this? is it time to start the transition to a sippy cup? i would REALLY appreciate any and all advice. she takes barely 3 six ounce bottles a day (down from 5 or 6). i'm really worried about this. THANK YOU for your help!
EDIT: also, THANK YOU for all of your comments on my lurker post the other day. it was such a joy to "meet" some of my readers!
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for posting this! Now I know what to make for Kevin for Valentine's Day!!!
Delicious.
One questions though- does either the cornmeal or flour work better? I have both on stock.
And also, good luck with Sylvia not using the bottle anymore. I do not really have any advice, based on my lack of experience in the baby department, but I did a quick google search and found this one forum (http://forum.birth.com.au/feeding-your-baby/102967-refusing-bottle.html) they suggested switching to a sippy cup. I know that is not much help but I just wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you and Sylvia!
xxoo
Posted by: Emily | 02/10/2011 at 01:25 PM
Em,
I don't think it matters. I've read cornmeal more places, but flour seemed to work just fine! Good luck cooking this for Kev! It's super easy! Thanks for the link. I'll check it out now.
Posted by: sara without an h | 02/10/2011 at 03:15 PM
Natalie had some of the same irritated aversion to her bottles a couple (a few? time flies...) months ago. We switched to a straw-style sippy cup for just a couple of her bottles a day and that seemed to do the trick. Good luck!
Posted by: Hilary@BabyMooHoo | 02/10/2011 at 07:23 PM