Recipe - Steamed Mussels With White Wine And Parsley

6 pound Mussels; preferably small
; cultivated
2 cup Dry white wine
3 Shallots; finely chopped
1 Turkish bay leaf
2 Fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2
teaspoon dried
3 tablespoon Finely chopped parsley
One fourth pound Unsalted butter; (optional)
pepper

Wash and sort the mussels, pulling off any pieces of protruding beard.
Combine the wine, shallots, bay leaf, and thyme in a 10quart pot and bring
to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then add the
mussels, cover the pot, and turn the heat up to high. When steam starts to
shoot out from under the lid, turn the heat back down to medium. Leave the
pot on the heat for 5 minutes more. Leave the lid on the pot and holding
down the lid with a kitchen towel shake pot to redistribute the mussels.
Put the pot back on the heat for 2 minutes more. Take off the lid and check
to see if all the mussels have opened. If not, replace the lid and cook for
2 minutes more. Remove the lid, wait a minute for the steam to dissipate,
scoop the mussels out of the pot with a large spoon or skimmer, and place
them in hot bowls, discarding any unopened mussels. If the liquid in the
bottom of the pan is sandy, carefully pour it into a clean saucepan,
leaving any sand or grit behind. Add the chopped parsley to the ho t broth,
whisk in the butter if desired, and season with pepper. Heat the broth for
a 1or 2 and ladle it over the hot mussels. Serve slices of crusty bread at
the table.

Yield: 8