Sunday Supper - Mussels in White Wine

Here's another seafood-inspired Sunday Supper. This dish is simple and elegant. It's great for impressing guests or just for a weekday dinner for one. Make sure you serve these steamed beauties with a good, crusty baguette to soak up the sauce. Bon appétit!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs mussels, cleaned and debearded
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Clean the mussels by scrubbing them gently under cool running water. Discard any that are chipped, broken, or damaged. Also, the shells should be tightly closed. To test whether an open mussel is still alive, give their shells a tap to see if they close. Discard any that remain open. 
2. To debeard the mussels, use a paring knife to scrape and pull off the black threads clinging to the shells. Be sure to debeard just before cooking.
3. Melt the butter in a large cast iron pot.
4. Add the minced shallot and sauté over medium heat until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Season gently with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
6. Stir in the parsley.
7. Add the white wine and bring the mixture to a medium simmer.
8. Stir in the mussels. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes, until all of the mussels have opened. Remove from heat.