My dear friend Susan who doesn’t like to cook happens to love, love steamed mussels. So when I see them at the market, I buy a 2 lb. bag. Then I do the imaginary head thing to check if I have lots of garlic, white wine, chopped onions, parsley, broth, butter and of course, a fresh loaf of French bread.
The first thing I do is to rinse them in cold water then place them into a colander to drain. In a saucepan I add a tablespoon of butter and a little olive oil and toss in the 1/2 cup of chopped onions and 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic. Swirl that around until translucent and you can smell the garlic. Now add the 2 lbs. of rinsed mussels, 1 cup of broth and 1/4 cup of white wine and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley. Cover right away and cook for a few minutes. Peak at the mussels and when they are all opened, they are ready to serve. Sometimes if I want pasta, I put it on the bottom of the bowl then add the steamed mussels on the top with broth.
The only addition to my mussels would be a handful of clams. That is it! Don’t forget the French bread and a tossed green salad.