The Mussels From....Gramercy Park

I LOVE MUSSELS! They are one of my favorite things to eat. The dish that I made was traditional with a white wine sauce, but the thing I love most about them is that they translate well with some many flavors. There are two mussel restaurants in the city that I love: Flex Mussels and The Mussel Pot. The variety of flavors is intense: Spanish, Cajun, Southwestern...all fantastic.

To get the mussels started throw some olive oil into a DEEP pot. Slice 1-2 onions and a few cloves of garlic and saute under a low flame until tender but not brown.

Add the mussels! I usually buy about 2 pounds. Here in New York, you can't beat Chinatown for seafood, but Whole Foods is a good, albeit pricey, alternative. Add the mussels, cover the pot and steam until the mussels are opened. If any mussels do not open, or open only a sliver, that means they are bad so throw them away.

Next you need to add some liquid. I use a combination of white wine and water (about a 3 to 1 ratio). How much liquid is subjective; I use a lot. You don't want to make a mussel soup, but you definitely want enough to slurp up with the mussels, plus sop up with bread. I also like to squeeze a whole lemon over the pot. Spoon over all of the mussles so that none get too dry. Chop up a bunch of parsley and season with salt to taste.

The only side dish I feel is necessary is some good crusty bread :)