Mussels in a Beer Broth

Ingredients:

Mussels you say? Mussels aren't easy! Aha! That's where you're wrong. Mussels are dead simple, and cheap too.

Here's a modified Belgian recipe:

2 lbs mussels
1.5 cups beer
1/2 stick butter
1 red pepper, diced
2 shallots, diced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
salt and pepper
2 TB cream
1 TB Dijon mustard

Wash the mussels and remove the beards, and any dead mussels (Tap the shell with a knife, they should close tightly, if they stay open after tapping, they are dead).

Step 1:

Melt the butter, sweat the pepper and shallots. Add the bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper.

Step 2:

Add the beer and bring to a roiling boil.

Step 3:

Add the mussels and tightly cover the pot.

Cook the mussels 2.5 minutes, shake, and cook 1 minute more.

Step 4:

Remove the mussels from the broth, throwing away any that did not open (indication of a dead one), and add the mustard and cream to the remaining broth.

Spoon the broth back over the mussels.

Step 5:

Serve the mussels and beer broth with a hearty, crusty bread.