This is a great way to add a healthy protein into your meals, at little cost. I bought 2 KGs of mussels for $9. Enough to feed 2-3 people (well unless you are like us and eat for 2!). Mussels have more protein and iron per calorie than a fillet of steak! They are also rich in vitamins A and B12, which your skin, eyes and immune system will thank you for, full of zinc to aid in building a strong immune system, and a natural source of iodine, which is needed to regulate your thyroid hormones. What's not to love about these bad boys!
Ingredients
2 kgs of fresh (live) mussels
1 tbsp olive oil + extra for drizzling bread
2 shallots finely diced (or onions)
4 garlic cloves crushed
50 g butter
1/2 cup white wine
fresh parsley finely chopped
Squeeze of fresh lemon
1 sourdough loaf sliced
Instructions
Begin by de-bearding and cleaning the mussels. To de-beard the mussels, pull their beard in an upward motion until you can pull it out of the shell. Clean their shells under running water and scrub them until all their barnacles have been removed.
In a deep dish pan on a low heat, bring your olive oil to heat and fry the shallots and garlic for five minutes or until fragrant and translucent. Stir occasionally to avoid the garlic from burning.
Bring the heat to medium and add the white wine. Cook until the white wine has reduced by half.
Turn the heat to low and add the butter to the pan. Stir the butter through the sauce until it has completely melted.
On a medium heat in the same pan, add your mussels and stir them through the sauce. Pop the lid on and leave the mussels to steam for 10 minutes or until all of the shells have opened.
While the mussels steam, slice the sourdough bread and drizzle with olive oil. Add the sourdough to a fry pan and fry on a low heat for several minutes on each side or until golden and crispy.
Take your mussels off the heat and sprinkle with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately with the fried bread and enjoy!