Mussels Mariniere

Ever since my mom and I made Cioppino about a month ago, I've been wanting to do something similiar but just with mussels.  That broth was just soooo good that I thought it would be a good weeknight meal to do with just mussels so that I don't have to buy a ton of different seafood.  For some reason my grocery store hasn't been carrying mussels lately.....I asked the seafood guy and he said they've been having trouble with all of their mussel orders coming in because half of them are already dead by the time they get there.  I decided that I would have to make a run to Whole Foods.  I think Whole Foods has some amazing stuff, but it's just too expensive to do too much shopping there.  I ended up getting some really good mussels, but they cost more than double what my grocery store usually charges for them.....oh well, this dish was worth it! 

Trust me, if you like mussels you will love this :)  Make sure you have plenty of thick sliced bread to soak up all of the broth because the flavor is so good.  In terms of how many mussels you will need, I read somewhere that if you're serving mussels as the main course to plan for 1 lb per person, and if you're doing mussels for appetizers you should plan for 1/2 lb per person.  This time I made 2 lbs (although the seafood guy told me he threw in a few extra) and it was just a little more than we could eat.  Since mussels won't stay as leftovers, I may just get a pound and a half for the two of us next time....but then again sometimes it's good to play it safe with mussels in case you have to throw a bunch out (I hardly had to throw any out on this batch).  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 cup shallots, diced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
3 tablespoons minced garlic
salt, pepper, and italian seasoning to taste
3 cans italian flavored diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1 jar of clam juice
1 cup white wine (we used a Savignon Blanc)
2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and debearded (buy them the same day you're going to cook them)
Crusty bread to serve with your mussels

Directions:

Sautee onions, green peppers, shallots, scallions, and garlic until translucent. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and italian seasoning (be generous with your seasoning). Add the white wine and let cook down a bit.

In a large stockpot, heat up italian diced tomatoes, beef broth, and claim juice.  Transfer the sauteed onion and pepper mix to the stockpot and heat over medium heat for about 30 minutes or so. At this time taste the broth and season as needed.
Meanwhile, soak the mussels in cold water for about 20 minutes to remove any sand or dirt.  Throw out any mussels that don't close when you tap their shell.  

Add the mussels to the pot and cook until the shells open (about 10 minutes).  Discard any mussels that don't open and serve the mussels and broth w/ crusty bread.