a contribution from John and Sheila Vickers

Best Damn Mussels You’ll Ever Eat

1 1/3 lbs fresh angel-hair pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic minced
½ cup onion minced
2 medium jalapeno peppers, de-seeded and finely chopped (use the seeds if you are adventurous)
2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves
1 cup Chardonnay
2 pounds Mussels. (I prefer the New Zealand green mussels)
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup of Monterey Jack, Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese, grated and tossed in a bag to coat
Flour for dusting the shredded cheese
Oregano and Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional

1.  Cook angel hair pasta. Drain then toss with olive oil. Put pasta in large serving dish and keep warm.
2.  Toss cup of shredded cheese in a bag with a small amount of flour, such as Wondra, to lightly coat the cheese.
3.  In large pot, sauté  garlic, onions, jalapenos (use milder, chopped green chilies, if you really are not at all adventurous when it comes to peppers) and rosemary with the butter for one minute.
4.  Add wine and mussels. Turn heat to high and steam for 3 minutes until shells open or, if using green mussels, until cooked.   Remove mussels with a slotted spoon and arrange in the shells over pasta. Keep warm.
5.  To the broth in the pot, add cheese and cream, and then simmer until sauce starts to thicken, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and pour over mussels and pasta.
Optional: garnish with fresh oregano (chopped) and Parmesan cheese
Serve with crusty French bread and salad.

To serve these mussels as an hors d’oeuvre follow the same cooking procedure omitting the angel hair pasta and the flour on the cheese, cook the sauce a little longer to concentrate the flavors.  Arrange mussels on a dish pour the sauce over the mussels and garnish with parsley for appearance.

Enjoy

A recipe adapted by John and Sheila from a recipe by Cathy Silver and Richard Wood of Mercer Island, Washington.