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I do exactly what you do but have used a dry white wine. No reason I couldn't use beer. I had some curried mussels in Quebec City that were delicious. I meant to play with that but never did. Any ideas? It's been a few years but I think they were Warm and there was milk involved in the sauce. Maybe a hot curry?
"He who sups with the devil should have a. long spoon".
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Happ to post this Jean..It's one of Pat's and my favorite meals. Also great for a company dinner.
FLEXING MUSSELS
4 pounds mussels
4 T unsalted butter
1 leek (white part only), washed well, patted dry and thinly sliced
1 cup diced (1/4 inch) fennel bulb
¼ cup finely chopped shallots
2 cups seeded and diced (1/4 inch) tomatoes
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 T finely minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Cup dry white wine
1 lb dry spaghetti ( or less)
If you buy mussels that are not farm-raised and have beards, don’t remove the beards until you’re ready to cook the mussels, or the shellfish will die.
Scrub the mussel shells well with a stiff brush and rinse in several changes of cold water. Just before cooking, pull off the beards and discard; reserve mussels.
Melt the butter in a large, heavy, nonreactive pot over medium heat. Add the leek, fennel and shallots; cook, stirring, until wilted, about 8 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, parsley and garlic; cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the mussels and the wine and raise the heat to high. Cover and cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until all the mussels have opened, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Serve immediately in shallow bowls with the vegetables and broth.
I serve with some pasta at the bottom of the bowl and 18 hour bread on the side.
From Sheila Lukins Simply Delicious
Shannon