Maine mussels are amazing, but Gold from Blue Hill Bay Mussels takes them to a new level!

I do all that I can to buy local -- especially seafood since it's such a huge part of Maine's economy. Blue Hill Bay Mussels is a local aqua farm where these beauties are sustainably raised.

Blue Hill Bay Gold Mussels in tomato and fennel broth

One of my favorite way to prepare mussels in steamed in a marinara or chunky tomato sauce with some crusts of bread on the side.

For this dish, I started with a combination of canned and fresh diced tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper, and some red wine to fill a large stock pot (with a steamer basket) to about 3-4 inches deep. I brought the sauce to a simmer and added 5 or 6 garlic cloves cut in half lengthwise, and an onion chopped into 1/4 to 1/2" chunks. Since I had some fresh fennel in the house, I chopped some of that and added it once the onions and garlic were tender.

Preparing the broth for steaming the mussels

Once the sauce thickened a bit and all the flavors had melded into an intoxicating aroma, I placed the rinsed mussels in the steamer basket, covered the pot, and let them steam for about 10 minutes when all the shells came open.

If you can't get the Blue Hill Bay gold mussels, do your best to get others farmed in Maine or those from Prince Edward Island (PEI) CA. PEI mussels are really good too!

If you don't have a pot with a steamer basket, it's perfectly fine to just drop the mussels directly into the sauce to cook. I prefer the basket because it makes it easier to fish out any that didn't open and are therefore inedible.

RECIPE:

5 lb mussels rinsed and beards removed

1/4 c olive oil

4 to 6 c any combination of diced canned and fresh tomatoes

5 - large garlic cloves

1 large onion

2 c red or white wine

optional to the broth:

celery, fennel, hot pepper, chorizo sausage chunks, capers, olives

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the olive oil and add the garlic and onions, let simmer 2 to 3 minutes

2. Add tomatoes and wine, and continue to slow simmer for another 10 minutes

3. Add any optional ingredients and salt and pepper to taste simmering for another 5 minutes

4. Add the mussels either in a steamer basket or with to the broth and continue simmering until all the mussels are open.

   NOTE: do not eat mussels whose shells have not opened.

5. Serve with crusty bread or on top of cooked linguini or angel hair. If serving over pasta, toss pasta with some butter and olive oil after draining and before pouring the mussels and broth on top.