WILD MUSSELS MARINARA

 This recipe is easy. The hardest part is cleaning the mussels if they are wild. Recruit your friends! Check out our food adventure harvesting wild mussels in the episode above. 

Mussels are a nutritious and sustainable seafood.  This recipe can also be made with store bought mussels but harvesting them yourself makes them a bit sweeter. Happy Eating

​chef Ellard

Try Harvesting your own mussels.
Here is a great article on how to do that. ​

Wild Mussels need to be cleaned by using a wire brush and scraping off the growth on the outside of the shell. Use scissors to cut off the beard.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pound mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup white wine
• 4 diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 20 whole Basil leaves

Directions

1. Sort through your mussels and discard any that are broken or open, then remove the beards and scrub the shells with a wire or stiff bristle brush.
2. Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the shallot and cook just a few minutes. Add the garlic, but be sure not to burn it, then add the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, stirring.
3. Add the white wine and cook until it boils. Once boiling, add the tomatoes and their juice, and bring to a boil again.
4. Add the mussels to the liquid, lower the heat slightly, cover the pan and cook until the mussels open, or about 6-8 more minutes.
5. Spoon the mussels into a large serving bowl or over pasta, along with the liquid. Discard any mussels that did not open. Enjoy!

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