I’ve been noticing an odd occurrence lately. After I eat either fennel or leeks, for some strange reason, I feel very good. Sort of like a “feeling of well being.” I plan on doing some reading on these two vegetables because I’d like to get to the bottom of it. Perhaps there’s some magical chemical compound in these foods that I should know about. And what’s even better, when they’re combined with a bit of lemon juice, not only do they taste outstanding, I feel extra good. Stay tuned.
This may be one of the most serious mussel recipes I’ve prepared to date. I got it out of the Williams-Sonoma Seafood cookbook and I have to say, it seems very legitimate. There are more than a handful of ingredients and the flavor profile is second to none. Translated, this means I truly enjoyed the meal.
There are two stars in this dish, the leeks and the lemon. Of course, the mussels are the primary ingredient and they’re always good, but what I remember most about this was what I just mentioned. After finishing up the mussels, I was left with lots of onion and leeks in my bowl. There was also some white wine broth mixed with the juice of one lemon. I ate that with great gusto. I love it when something is so satisfying.
Ingredients
Serves: 2
2 Pounds of Mussels, Cleaned
4 Tablespoons Butter
3 Teaspoons Garlic, Minced
1 Medium Sized Sweet Onion, Minced
1 Leek, Trimmed and Finely Chopped
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
Grated Zest from 1 Lemon
1 Cup Dry White Wine
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Parsley, Chopped
Step-by-Step Instructions
For this recipe, please feel free to substitute shallots for the sweet onion. Also, if you don’t like butter, you can use extra-virgin olive oil.
Soften Vegetables
Warm a large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is to temperature, add 2 tablespoons of butter, along with the garlic, onion, leek, thyme and lemon zest.
Cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes or until they’ve all softened.
Add Mussels
Next, add the mussels to the skillet. Then, add the wine and increase the heat on the stove top to high. Cover the skillet and let cook for 5 minutes.
Add Remaining Ingredients
Turn off the heat. Then, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the ground pepper, lemon juice and parsley. With a large spoon, stir all these ingredients together with the cooked mussels. Divide between 2 bowls and serve.
The Finished Mussels
As you can see, this wasn’t a very challenging recipe to pull off. What’s most important here is the ingredients. It’s a great mix that I enjoyed immensely. Give it a try!
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