{ mussels in garlic-butter white wine sauce }

So many restaurants up here in New England serve delicious appetizers of mussels and crusty French bread. I'm never able to resist ordering them, along with a glass of white wine.

So on a warm summer afternoon when Ty decided to grill steaks (of course), I thought I'd add some of my own surf to his turf. Mussels were on my mind, so mussels were what I made.

So easy. So simple. So delicious -- a perfect dinner for two!

Next time I'll add more garlic to the sauce, as well as some fresh green herbs -- I'm thinking Italian parsley. Other than that, it was pretty close to perfect.

Mussels in Garlic-Butter White Wine Sauce
(adapted from tastykitchen.com)

Ingredients
2 pounds fresh mussels
1 cup dry white wine
1 sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
6 large garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons butter (I used salted)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
1 loaf crusty French bread

Process
Thoroughly rinse mussels under cold water in a colander; give a sharp yank and pull toward the hinge end of the shell any exposed mussel beards.

Melt butter and olive oil over medium-low heat.


Add onion and garlic; cook for 3 minutes or until translucent. Add white wine, thyme and mussels. Gently stir.

Cover mussels for about 8 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels. Season with salt and pepper.

While mussels cook, place the bread on an oven rack for 8 minutes. Slice.

Dump mussels and broth into a bowl. Place bread around the outside edge. Serve and dip bread into the broth.