Mussels with Smoked Sausage

For me, this is a perfect dish: it's fast, simple, and incredibly tasty.  The briny-sweet taste of the mussels, the smoky bite of the kielbasa, and the fragrant spicy broth combine to make a meal that always ends with me drinking from the bowl and sopping up the last with a bit of bread while I look for seconds.  Always.

To clean the mussels, I usually start by plugging up a sink and filling it with ice and cold water.  I also set up a bowl with a colander in it next to the sink and grab a pair of needle-nose pliers.  Then, one at a time, I grab a mussel, check to make sure it's closed and undamaged, give it a scrub, and remove any beard with the pliers by gently tugging until it tears free.  I typically only need to toss 1-3 bad mussels per pound.


Cooking this dish couldn't be simpler.  Brown the meat, add the aromatics, deglaze with wine, and add the pepper and mussels to steam.  Wait ten minutes, uncover and toss any mussels that are still shut.  Garnish with parsley and serve with a hunk of bread.  This is one of my all-time favorites.

(Cuisine at Home: Smart Carb Cooking, January 2005, pp 74-75.)

• 2 lbs Mussels, cleaned and debearded
• 1/2 lb Kielbasa, sliced into 1/4" rounds and quartered
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/3 C Shallots, minced
• 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
• 1 C White Wine
• 2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 C Parsley, chopped

1. Immerse Mussels in cold water.  Scrub and debeard, discarding any that are cracked or open.  Put good ones in a colander to drain.
2. In a large pot, cook Kielbasa in Oil until browned over medium-high heat.
3. Add Shallots and Garlic.  Cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add White Wine and Red Pepper Flakes, scraping up any fond in pan.
5. Gently add Mussels, give pot a shake and cover to steam for 10 minutes.
6. Add Parsley and stir gently.  Serve in bowls with plenty of broth and a hunk of bread, discarding any mussels that are not wide open.