Outpost is excited to welcome the newest member of our merry band of writers…John Sargent
Hailing from Boston, no one emphasizes a love for the East Coast more than Mr. Sargent. As such, expect a great deal of writing on fishing, outdoor life, recipes, travel, and of course the East Coast as a whole. Best part, he’s an English major, bringing some serious firepower to our little rag.
Everyone, give John a warm welcome.
Hey you, yes, you, the guy who just got off work and is about to make chicken breast, rice, and broccoli for the 4th time this week. Stop being so afraid of seafood.
As famed 17th-century Irish writer Jonathan Swift once said, “He was a bold man who first ate an oyster.” To that, I say, “He was a bold twenty-something who learned how to cook mussels.”
Mussels are cheap, delicious, easy to prepare, and have countless benefits to your health (and possibly sex life). They are packed to the gills with protein and omega-3s, especially compared to a skinless chicken breast, with mussels containing 5–7 more grams of protein per 100 grams and nearly 500% more omega-3s. They are also borderline idiot-proof when it comes to preparation. If you can dice a vegetable and place something in a pot, you are about 90% there.
Mussels are also the perfect meal to prepare when you are trying to impress the fiancé, girlfriend, or that Hinge date who has been slipping your messages. Firstly, they are cheap as hell, with a pound being about $5, so you aren’t going to break the bank acquiring ingredients. Second, they will make you and your apartment smell fantastic, so you can ditch the Old Spice body wash. Finally, they are served with two things all women love: chilled white wine and buttered bread. You can thank me later.
So whether you are looking to cook something simple for yourself after work or hoping to show the missus how much you care, all I can say is be bold. Choose mussels.
Ingredients:
2 lbs fresh PEI mussels from a local monger
1 shallot or small yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup dry white wine (or brown ale)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 baguette
Optional:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup chopped parsley
Preparation:
Step 1: Clean each mussel under cold running water, tapping each on the edge of the counter or cutting board to test if they are alive. Good mussels should sound like a stone when tapped against a hard surface, and if they are open, they should close after a solid tap or after being run under room-temperature water. Once mussels are clean, set aside.
Step 2: In a large pot over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 whole thyme sprigs. Once the butter is foaming, add diced shallot or onion, as well as garlic, and sauté until the garlic is fragrant and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Remove thyme sprigs from the pot once the onion is properly sautéed, and add the cup of dry white wine or ale. Once simmering, add mussels and cover with a lid. Steam for 7–9 minutes.
Step 4: While the mussels steam, cut the baguette into 2-inch slices, wrap in tin foil, and place in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Once mussels are finished, remove them from the pot and add thyme, parsley, and mustard to the pot, stirring to combine. If eschewing the optional ingredients, just add thyme and the remaining tablespoon of butter.
Serve: Place mussels in a bowl, ladle over broth, serve with bread, and enjoy.
