Guest Post - Kayleigh's Chardonnay Steamed Mussels with Garlic Baguette

Chardonnay Steamed Mussels with Garlic Baguette

Hi everyone! I’m Kayleigh from Cooking with Kale. I jumped at the chance to guest post for Laurie while she was busy enjoying her new bundle of joy. Laurie and I have very similar approaches to food: that it should be as seasonal and delicious as possible.

Summer, to the culinary-conscious mind, is full of promise. Who doesn’t love cracking into the first lobsters of the season, or biting into perfectly grilled corn on the cob? With all of this potential at hand, I try not to enter the market with a grocery list. I like to see what looks best and then I work out the perfect dish from there. This week I spotted fresh mussels, beautiful ears of corn, sweet shallots, large bunches of flat leaf parsley, and freshly baked baguette. There is nothing I enjoy more than soaking up savory broth from steamed mussels with crusty baguette. 

How I Chose My Ingredients & Why

Mussels have the ability to absorb a multitude of flavors and they are a very cost effective choice when you’re craving shellfish. The trick with mussels is to pull the little beard off before you eat them, and to discard any mussels that remain open (as they are dead). Corn at this time of the year is sweet and bursting with flavor. Grilling the corn will add a smoky element to the dish. As a base, Chardonnay is perfect, dry white wine at its finest. There is also the consideration that you should never cook with a wine that you wouldn’t drink. Combine this with some butter, sweet sliced shallots, fresh corn, and pungent garlic- and you’ve got the perfect sauce.

Chardonnay Steamed Mussels

with Grilled Baguette

Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 ears of corn

3 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 large shallots

2 cloves garlic

1 1/2 cups Chardonnay

2 pounds Mussels (cleaned)

1 baguette

4 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

kosher salt

black pepper

If you’re feeling extra hungry:

3/4 lb Linguine

Directions:

Preheat your grill to medium heat. Rub the ears of corn with one tablespoon of olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Put them on the grill for fifteen minutes (turning them every five to make sure that they don’t burn!)

In the mean time: slice your shallots, mince your garlic, and chop your parsley. Pull the corn off of the grill, and slice the kernels off of the cob.

Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Add the butter, and once it’s melted, add the shallots. Cook the shallots for two-three minutes and then add half of the garlic. At this point, add the corn kernels and the Chardonnay and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Add the mussels and cover the pot for 8 minutes.

In the mean time, combine the other half of the minced garlic, two tablespoons of olive oil, and two tablespoons of chopped parsley. Slice your baguette in half lengthwise and brush it with this mixture. Throw it on your grill for four minutes (or until it’s golden).

Plating:

Toss the remainder of the parsley over the finished mussels. Add a nice big scoop of the mussels and their juices to a bowl and add a piece of grilled baguette. Enjoy!