2 lbs fresh mussels
4 tbs butter
1 onion (or a couple of shallots), chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 lemon, sliced
2 cups chicken or fish stock
tarragon, salt, and pepper to taste
Fresh mussels are live when you buy them. If you have to store them for a day or two, you want them to be able to breathe, so open the plastic bag. When you get ready to cook them the shells should be closed. If you find an open one tap it. If it closes then it's still alive and good to cook. If it does not close discard it. Also discard any ones with broken shells. You may also need to de-beard the mussels, which means pulling off the hairy sticky-outy thing. If it's there you'll know exactly what I mean, if it's not then you don't need to worry about it.
In a large heavy pot (I use my enameled cast iron dutch oven), melt the butter. Add chopped onion and stir.
When the onions become clear, add the chopped garlic cloves. Stir and sautee for a couple of minutes.
Add the slices of lemon, chicken stock, tarragon, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Dump the mussles in on top of the broth. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 5 more minutes.
The mussels are ready to eat when the shells have opened.
In my house, we like to pull all of the mussels out of the shells, add them to the broth, and eat it as mussel soup essentially. Others like to eat the mussels indiviually and then when they're all gone sop up the broth with some good crusty bread. Either way, I find this simple, nutrient dense meal super satisfying.
4 tbs butter
1 onion (or a couple of shallots), chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 lemon, sliced
2 cups chicken or fish stock
tarragon, salt, and pepper to taste
Fresh mussels are live when you buy them. If you have to store them for a day or two, you want them to be able to breathe, so open the plastic bag. When you get ready to cook them the shells should be closed. If you find an open one tap it. If it closes then it's still alive and good to cook. If it does not close discard it. Also discard any ones with broken shells. You may also need to de-beard the mussels, which means pulling off the hairy sticky-outy thing. If it's there you'll know exactly what I mean, if it's not then you don't need to worry about it.
In a large heavy pot (I use my enameled cast iron dutch oven), melt the butter. Add chopped onion and stir.
When the onions become clear, add the chopped garlic cloves. Stir and sautee for a couple of minutes.
Add the slices of lemon, chicken stock, tarragon, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Dump the mussles in on top of the broth. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 5 more minutes.
The mussels are ready to eat when the shells have opened.
In my house, we like to pull all of the mussels out of the shells, add them to the broth, and eat it as mussel soup essentially. Others like to eat the mussels indiviually and then when they're all gone sop up the broth with some good crusty bread. Either way, I find this simple, nutrient dense meal super satisfying.