Steamed Mussels to Ring Out the Old

New Year’s Eve we like to stay at home just the two of us or a couple of guests. One year we had a lonely guest. On the menu were dried meats and crackers to start and steamed mussels to follow. It is a very simple but festive meal that does not keep you busy in the kitchen all day. And living on the coast for more than twenty years mussels have become comfort food to us.

We started the dinner with sparkling wine and a charcuterie platter.

The table was set in a most simple way with a white table cloth and black napkins. A couple of 3-D stars were added as an accent.

Steamed mussels keep you warm…

Ingredients for 2 people

2 lb of cleaned mussels
1 carrot
1 leek
1 clove of garlic
Butter
1 small glass of white wine
13 oz vegetable broth
Salt and pepper
Baguette

Cooking

Place the mussels in a bowl of cold water. If they still need to be cleaned, brush them thoroughly with a small kitchen brush. And rinse one more time. Throw away all open mussels.

Cut the leek and carrot into julienne. Finely chop garlic.

Melt a bit of butter in a large pot. Stew julienne and garlic in butter. Add white wine and broth and bring to a boil. Carefully add the mussels and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Place the lid on the pot and let cook for about 5 minutes.

Serve the mussels with broth in deep plates with baguette on the side.

The table was decorated with a few 3-D stars in black, soft pink and white. PDF template for 3-D stars to be printed on light card stock. Instructions are included.

2013