Leek & White Wine Mussels

Are your mussels still fresh???

The first thing that I do when I purchase fresh mussels is verify if they are still alive (A dead mussel can make you very sick).

To make sure all the mussels are still fresh and alive. This is easy to do — just add them in cool water, most of them will automatically close, then tap the shell on a hard surface, and if it closes it’s good to eat. If it does nothing, don’t take a chance. The same goes if the mussel feels heavy for its size or if it’s cracked.

Serving : 3-4

Prep : 10 mins / Cook: 15 mins / Total : 25 mins

Ingredients

2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2-3 large leeks thinly sliced and chopped
1 onion
Garlic to taste
3/4 cup dry white wine (Smooth dry white wines such as Chenin Blanc and unoaked or subtle oaked Chardonnay)
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 cup cream
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 pounds small mussels, cleaned
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Lemon Pepper

Instructions

Remove all Cracked, dead mussels
Scrub the mussels under cold, running water and remove the beards (the bristly material sticking out from one side) by pulling down toward the hinge of the shell and outward.
Heat butter and olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add leek to pan; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add wine, lemon rind, and juice to pan; bring to a simmer, and cook 2 minutes.
Add mussels to pan. Cover; cook 3 minutes or until mussels open, gently shaking pan 1 to 2 times during cooking. Remove pan from heat.
Spoon mussels into a large shallow serving bowl. Stir salt and pepper into broth, and pour over mussels in bowl. Serve immediately.