Mussels A La Vinnie Testa

There is an awesome small Italian restaurant chain in the Boston area, Vinnie Testa's (if you aren't eating gluten free, go there!), it isn't a gluten free restaurant, I ate there before all this happened. You would get plates of pasta and seafood in bowls big enough to bathe a good size baby. Bread served with roasted garlic to spread on, and mussels made with white wine, butter, olive oil, parsley and tomatoes. Yum. The perfect summer food..tastes like the beach. When I eat these I don't miss fried clams.

Don't eat the mussels that haven't opened after cooking. And, don't forget to soak up the broth with bread.

Italian-style Mussels

4 lbs mussels, rinsed and scrubbed if necessary
2 cups dry white wine
4 shallots, chopped finely
6 garlic cloves, I use a garlic press
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons butter
fresh parsley chopped
1 large fresh tomato chopped

Make sure your mussels don't have the beards, remove if necessary. Combine wine, shallots, garlic and salt in large stockpot/sauce pot and simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn heat up to high, add mussels and cook for about 5 minutes or until all the mussels have opened. Melt butter, add olive oil. Pour over mussels. Add tomato, mix mussels, sprinkle with parsley. Serve from one fabulous bowl in the middle, or serve in individual dishes, making sure to scoop up some broth in the serving.

Cheers!