Mussels in White Wine

My first time making mussels and I have to say they were amazing! These compare to my favorite mussels I have at a Chicago restaurant.  I combined a few recipes I found and came up with this recipe.  Serve with crusty warm bread to sop up all the wine sauce and a nice chilled glass of white wine.  I can't wait to make these again!

          

Ingredients:

2 lbs. FRESH mussels, scrubbed and debearded

2 Tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup white wine

2 tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons chopped shallots

1 small bunch Italian fresh parsley, chopped

3-4 roma  tomatoes, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

To clean the mussels, place mussels in a large bowl with cold water to cover. Add the flour and soak for 30 minutes, or until the mussels disgorge any sand. Drain the mussels, then remove the “beard” from each with your fingers. If they’re dirty, scrub the mussels with a brush under running water. Discard any mussels whose shells aren’t tightly shut.

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat.  Add the chopped shallot and cook for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, and cook until almost tender. Pour in the white wine, and stir in the parsley and butter. Bring to a boil, and allow to boil until the liquid has reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the mussels to the pot, stir well then cover and allow to cook until the shells are opened, about 7 minutes. Transfer the mussels and sauce to a large serving bowl, discarding any unopened shells. 

Serves 2