Steamed Mussels with Tomato-and-Garlic Broth

Me: Do you guys have mussels?
Guy behind the seafood counter: Why yes we do. (flex) No we don't today. Come back tomorrow.

We ended up going to another store.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups drained canned tomatoes in thick puree, chopped (from one 28-ounce can)
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Salt, if needed
Slices of bread, toasted (optional)

Directions:

First thing, clean and clip off anything attached to the mussels. You would not want to eat that or have it contaminate your broth. The most essential thing is to soak the mussels in a flour water. This will cause the mussels to spit out sand that they have harbored. Let sit for about half an hour.

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the half of the cilantro, tomatoes, tomato paste, white wine, and red-pepper flakes. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the mussels to the pot, stirring occasionally. Once all the mussels have opened their shells they are done cooking. Add the rest of the cilantro. Enjoy alone or with toasted bread.

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