333279 Wed Oct 11 16:47:32 -0700 2006 8 31 Home Cooking 0 1938219 I'd like to prepare mussels in a white wine sauce with little or no butter or cream (trying to stay low-fat). Anyone got a tasty recipe to share? TIA. Tipsy Wed Oct 11 16:47:32 -0700 2006 16161 TipsyMcStagger 1 1938295 Scrub and beard 2 pounds mussels. Put in a big pot with 1 large onion and 1 small stalk celery, both finely minced, some fresh or dried thyme and 1 cup dry white wine. If so moved, you can also add a finely minced clove of garlic and/or carrot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Steam just until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and chopped parsley. Serve with a baguette for sopping up the delicious liquor. Yield: 2 servings. Wed Oct 11 17:06:12 -0700 2006 1938219 10520 carswell 1 1938304 Chop onion and garlic, fry gently in butter (do not colour), turn up to highest heat, throw in cleaned mussels, pour over some white wine, cover. Steam. When the mussels have opened remove the lid toss in chopped parsley stir through. Serve. I second the (crusty) baguette, which a guest could butter if they wanted to. Sorry, don't do quantities, I eat mussels by then handful not by weight! Wed Oct 11 17:10:21 -0700 2006 1938219 24646 ali patts 1 1938483 One tip I picked up from Jean Anderson that's a bit of a pain but makes enough of a difference for it to be worthwhile. After the mussels have opened, remove them to a bowl with a slotted spoon and boil down the liquid in the pan until reduced by about a third. It helps concentrate the mussel juices in the sauce and makes for a far more flavorful one than you get without the reduction. Wed Oct 11 18:05:04 -0700 2006 1938219 11407 JoanN 1 1938498 Tipsy, One of the reasons mussels are so good when served in French restaurants is a dash of Pernod. (A tablespoon is plenty.) It makes a world of difference in the final result. Wed Oct 11 18:10:56 -0700 2006 1938219 28212 Walters 1 1938883 I second Ali Patts method, but I often add a little clam juice or fish stock as well as white wine, in order to get more broth at the end -- because it's SO GOOD when it's sopped up with bread. JoanN's tip for concentrating the liquid at the end is interesting, I will have to try that. Wed Oct 11 19:56:22 -0700 2006 1938219 23430 Mr. Cookie 1 1952643 White wine is very good with mussels, but so is beer! The best mussels I've had were cooked with homebrewed hefeweizen. Serving the same beer as you use to cook with is a heavenly experience. Pretty much any lightly hopped beer would work - belgian strong ales, macro lagers, and also gueuze or kriek is fantastic as well. Too many hops - pale ales, ipa's, etc. make the mussels quite bitter. Tue Oct 17 20:06:19 -0700 2006 1938219 12014 LStaff 1 1955435 Can you freeze fresh mussels successfully? In cleaning out my freezer, I noticed someone had stuck in 1 quart of mussels. They are about 1 month old. Would you use them or pitch out? Wed Oct 18 19:46:51 -0700 2006 1938219 15139 Diane in Bexley 1 1955487 Whenever I have leftover mussels, which is not very often, I remove them from the shell, freeze them, and use them in pasta sauce. Never had any problems with them and they've sometimes been a good deal more than one month old. I can't imagine that freezing them still in the shell would make a difference. Wed Oct 18 20:00:28 -0700 2006 1938219 11407 JoanN