P.E.I. Mussels

We live near the Kensington Grill restaurant in San Diego, CA. The restaurant is a casual shi-shi joint with a very unique American menu. One of my favorite items in their menu is their p.e.i mussels (Prince Edward Island). The mussels are steamed to perfection in a white wine broth, and then they are served with a tarragon sauce. If you check this place out, I suggest you just order from their appetizer menu since it's cheaper and I think the appetizers are better tasting than the entrees.

INGREDIENTS (about 3 to 4 servings as an appetizer)

• 2 pounds mussels
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Gris or Blanc de Blanc
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 thyme sprig
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Discard any mussels that have cracked or are damaged. Remove beards from mussels, and scrub each mussel under cold water. Rinse until water runs clear.

Combine the wine, shallots, bay leaf, and thyme in a very large pot and bring to a slow simmer over medium heat.

Add the mussels to pot, cover, and turn heat up to high. When steam starts to escape from cover, reduce heat to medium. Shake pot to redistribute mussels, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until mussels have opened. Remove from heat. Remove mussels from liquid and discard any unopened mussels.

Remove the bay leaf. Add the shallot liquid into another saucepan. Reduce liquid on high heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and with a hand held blender add the olive oil, Dijon, and tarragon to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper and spoon over mussels. Serve nice pieces of crusty, French bread to sop up all the juices.