Steamed Mussels in White Wine

While I have eaten mussels countless times in my life, I have actually never tried preparing mussels at home.  When I flipped through the most recent issue of Bon Appetit, I paused when I saw a really simple recipe for Steamed Mussels in White Wine.  I decided to broaden my horizons and attempt cooking mussels at home on my own. 

First, I gathered my ingredients:

1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/4 white onion, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 1/2 cubes (the original recipe calls for 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
4 pounds Moosabec Maine mussels, scrubbed, debearded (the original recipe calls for 4 1/2 pounds mussels)
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (I use two squeezes from my parsley tube instead of fresh parsley)

I placed the shallot, onion, wine, butter and vinegar in my Dutch oven on medium heat. 

I added the mussels and covered the pot while bringing the liquid to a boil.  While the mussels were cooking, I gently shaked the pot a few times. 

The mussels cooked for about five minutes in the pot until they began to open.  I removed the unopened mussels.

I removed the mussels using a slotted spoon into a large bowl.  I poured the cooking liquid into a strainer lined with a double layer of cheesecloth over a bowl.  I seasoned the broth with pepper and poured it over the mussels.

I sprinkled the chopped parsley over the mussels before serving.

I decided to serve the mussels with some spaghetti tossed with home-made pesto and some free samples of California Olive Ranch extra-virgin olive oil. 

This was definitely a simple rustic meal but perfect for a Monday night.  I made way too many mussels and we had to throw some out.  Still, I was proud of this dish and was really surprised at how easy it was to make!

Have you ever cooked mussels at home?  What is your favorite way to prepare (or eat) mussels?