Mussels with Tomatoes and White Wine

I don’t cook mussels very often because I used to harvest them and cook them only hours later – it kind of ruins it when they’re that fresh and that cheap. But if you’ve got some very fresh mussels, this is an interesting thing to do with them beyond pasta or good old steaming in white wine and herbs. I’d probably do those two first, but on the third night…

Ingredients:

• A whole bunch of mussels, let’s say 5 pounds
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• Black pepper, coarsely ground
• A large slap of butter
• 1 very large tomato or 2 medium ones, chopped
• A pinch of fresh tarragon, a smaller pinch of fresh thyme, and a large pinch of parsley, all minced
• Accompaniment – great slabs of baguette or similar, oiled and toasted
• Optional: if you add sliced chorizo to the pan and cook it in butter first, you won’t be disappointed

Directions:

Scrub and de-beard the mussels, then place in a large pan. I like to not do this in a huge pot, but in an huge sauté pan so I can really toss it around.

Add the wine, cover, and place on high heat. When the mussels just begin to open – about 3-5 minutes, depending on your stove – remove the cover and add all the rest of the ingredients. Toss vigorously and cook for another two minutes, until the mussels are fully opened and all the other ingredients are evenly distributed. Serve at once and dip the bread in the broth. Enjoy.