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From Edible Seattle March/April 2011
Serves: 4 | start to finish: 30 minutes
It’s hard to strike a balance between surrounding mussels in a broth worthy of an entire loaf of bread and actually tasting their sweet, briny flavor. Here’s a version that lands in the center: The mussels don’t get lost, but the tonic at the bottom of the pot, a heady mixture of white wine, anchovies, and leeks, is augmented at the last minute with a garlic-parsley butter that keeps you seated long after the shells are all piled up—and because the garlic retains its strong, fresh flavor, it wards off vampires, too.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 anchovies, finely chopped
Pinch crushed red pepper (to taste)
1 medium leek, green and white parts, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup dry white wine
2 pounds live mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 baguette, sliced, for dipping
Heat a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil, anchovies, and crushed red pepper, and stir for 30 seconds or so. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the leeks are soft. Add the wine and bring to a strong simmer. Add the mussels, cover the pot, and steam until the mussels have all opened, 5 to 8 minutes.
While the mussels cook, stir the butter, garlic, and parsley together in a small bowl. Divide mussels between bowls. Add the garlic-parsley butter to the broth left in the bottom of the pot. Stir until the butter just melts, then pour the broth over the mussels. Serve immediately, with baguette slices.
*gluten-free (served with gluten-free bread)
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