One-Pot Wonders
Katie's Moules Provençale
- Makes 3-4 servings
Author Notes
By far our favorite part of our trip through France, was our pit stop in Aix. After spending a few days in Paris (I'll get to that later), we took a beautiful train ride through the countryside to Aix. Upon our arrival, we dropped by the rental car station and picked up the only automatic transmission car in their lot. Turns out, they only make giant automatic cars (regular sized in America), and giant cars in France don't fit through the narrow crevices they call streets very well. Let's just say there was some minor tension trying to park and maneuver the car through Aix. When we finally figured out how to get our tanker to the studio apartment we had rented, from a lovely French couple, we were in love.
We spent our few days in Aix roaming to outdoor markets, driving through the countryside, sipping sweet rosé and feasting on some of the best food we've ever tasted. The real reason we loved Aix so much? We had a kitchen. The rest of our trip was spent in plush, fancy hotels (for free thanks to Brian sticking it out as a consultant), but this little place we stayed in was far from a fancy resort. It was a cozy little apartment nested in the winding cobblestone streets. This made going to the markets that much sweeter. We could actually buy things, bring them home, and cook them!! Yesss, a dream come true. Working with our limited kitchen utensils (steak knife and no cutting board) I came up with this fabulous meal one night. Brian and I still say it was our best meal in France... —Brussels Sprouts for Breakfast
Ingredients
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2-3 pounds
mussels (rinsed and cleaned)
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1 pound
whole yellow cherry tomatoes
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2
large heirloom tomatoes (rough chop)
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2
shallots (diced)
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1 cup
dry white wine
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1
lemon (halved)
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salt and pepper
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olive oil
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1-2 loaves crusty bread
Directions
- In a large pot, heat lots of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and onion to the oil and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add salt and pepper.
- Add the tomatoes (both heirloom and cherry) to the pot and cover. Cook for about 7 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes start to pop and release their juices.
- Once the juices are oozing in the pan, add the white wine and half the lemon juice, and bring to a slow simmer. Add more salt and pepper to taste and cook for 10 minutes.
- Prep your mussels while your sauce is preparing. Rinse the mussels several times to remove any sand and grit. Discard any broken mussels and mussels that aren't tightly shut.
- Toss the mussels straight into the pot of delicious tomatoes and give it a stir. Cover tightly with a lid and let steam just until the mussels have opened. This will take somewhere between 5-10 minutes, depending on your mussels. Discard any that do not open. Make sure all the mussels are coated in the sauce. Pour the mussels into a large serving bowl, or eat straight out of the pot. Squeeze the other half of the lemon over the mussels and serve with LOTS of crusty bread.
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