This recipe stolen graciously from allrecipes.com.

*Note: These are amazing.*

The Goods
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup shallots, minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 lbs. mussels, cleaned and debearded
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
ground black pepper to taste

The Gettin’
1. In a medium stock pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add shallots and saute until translucent.
2. Pour in wine and mussels. Raise heat to medium/high and steam mussels until shells open, about 7 minutes.
3. Pour mussels and cooking liquid into a serving bowl, sprinkle with parsley and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

The Take:
These are good, but they require a bit of prep!  Letting the mussels sit in some water before you begin for 20-30 minutes lets them expel dirt or sand.  Don’t use any mussels that aren’t closed to begin with – they’re probably dead!  You can check by sharply tapping the mussel – if it closes, it’s still alive and safe to cook.  Any mussels that don’t open after steaming should be thrown away.

Total Time: 52 minutes
Prep – 45 minutes
Cook– 7 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Level: Intermediate