Can’t write a story about Belgium and NOT include a recipe on its National Dish. The recipe really shouldn’t work – it would go so much better with a baguette to sop up all that delicious liquid at the end, but French fries just go with everything, right? So here goes.
First things first. Scrub the mussels well to remove all external debris especially their ‘beards’ before use. This is usually longer than actually preparing the dish. Discard any cracked or open shells.
Ingredients:
2-3 lbs mussels
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
4 minced garlic cloves
2 diced shallots
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only,
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
12 oz. Belgian beer (Leffe, if you can find it)
Instructions:
Heat a LARGE stockpot to medium
Add olive oil and butter
Add shallots, garlic and thyme. Sauté until fragrant
Add the beer and bring to a simmer
Add the mussels
Cover the pot and allow the mussels to steam for 7 minutes, until the mussels have fully opened
Discard any unopened mussels, garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Could it be simpler?
Serve with French fries (chips, if you’re British).
Optional: Slices of baguette to sop up that delicious juice.
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