Mussels in Brussels

These mussels are not in Brussels nor did they come from there. But the first time I ever ate mussels was not in Brussels but in was in Belgium -- Brugge.
I was very picky about bi-valves all of my life -- while I LOVED clams and scallops, I would not touch an oyster or mussel -- no matter how it was fixed. To say I loathed them is an understatement.

But we found ourselves in Belgium and on the plane going over everyone kept talking about "mussels in Brussels". One of those "must dos". Our time in Belgium was brief, most of a day. And it was in Brugge -- not Brussels. And the camera didn't work so all we have of that day is . . .

our memories
a plaque bought at a used store which has a saying that I keep forgetting
a picture of Brugge on a card that a friend sent me and which I framed
a love of mussels

For dinner that evening, I decided that since we were in Belgium that I would have mussels. They were delicious and I became a mussel aficionado.

Since the prairie is far from the ocean, good seafood of any kind is rare. But a friend had these flown in and gave us a sack. We ate ourselves silly. The recipe, a favorite from a favorite book, The Cook and the Gardener. It's very good and very French.

Mussels with Garlic and Fines Herbes

3 pounds mussels
1 1/2 cups white wine
4 shallot lobes, sliced thing
1 bay leaf
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 T. chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 T. chopped chervil
2 t. chopped tarragon
1 t. thinly sliced chives blades

Clean the mussels. Scrub them well under cold running water. Debeard them if necessary, pulling out any wiry fronds coming through the seams of the shells.

In a large pot or deep saute pan, combine the white wine, half the shallot and the bay leaf. Place the mussels on top and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat to steam open the mussels 3 to 4 minutes. You may want to give them a stir after 2 minutes to disperse the heat evenly among the mussels. When the mussels have opened (if there are a few that don't, that is an indication that they are dead or bad-- discard them), transfer them to 4 shallow bowls.

Strain the cooking liquid through either a coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth into a clean pan. Add the olive oil, remaining shallots and garlic and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the mixture slightly; it will condense to an opaque liquid. Taste. If it's too salty, add a little water. Sprinkle the herbs and spoon the sauce over the mussels. Serve promptly with a tangy baguette torn into large pieces which you can use to soak up the broth when you're finished with the mussels.