Dinner tonight: Belgian-style steamed mussels with garlic crisps

In this recipe, beer imparts a slight malt flavour and a touch of bitterness that perfectly complements the briny sharpness of mussels. Soft margarine helps to make the crisped garlic toasts a snap to prepare.

Prep time 15 min 

Cook time 15 min 

Serves 4

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) softened margarine
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) garlic powder
• 100 ml (1/3 c) plus 10 ml (2 tsp) chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 of a small baguette (about 400 g/4 oz), cut on a very sharp angle into 8 slices
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
• 250 ml (1 c) chopped onion
• 250 ml (1 c) chopped tomato
• 125 ml (1/2 c) chopped celery
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bottle (200 g/8 oz) light-coloured beer, such as pilsner or lager
• 1 kg (2 lb) mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 100 ml (1/3 c) heavy cream
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
• 0.5 ml (1/8 tsp) freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the margarine, garlic powder, and 30 millilitres (two teaspoons) of the parsley. Spread the mixture on one side only of each slice of the bread. Arrange the bread in a single layer on the baking sheet.
3. Bake the bread until crisp and golden, six to seven minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
4. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, tomato, celery and garlic and cook until starting to soften, four to five minutes.
5. Add the beer and bring to a boil. Add the mussels, cover and cook until the mussels open, four to five minutes.
6. Transfer the mussels to a large bowl, ­discarding any that did not open.
7. Add the cream, salt and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook for one minute. Stir in the remaining 100 millilitres (1/3 cup) parsley.
8. Divide the mussels into four large serving bowls and top each with some of the broth and two garlic crisps.

If you don't care for beer, substitute 125 millilitres (1/2 cup) wine and 250 millilitres (one cup) clam juice.

--------------------

Discover the smarter way to save time and money

Ready to start saving more on your groceries and pharmacy purchases? Download the FREE YP Grocery app today! It lets you create shareable shopping lists, automatically finds all the best deals and coupons, then delivers them right to you. No more manually scrolling through hundreds of flyers to find what you’re looking for!

Download the YP Grocery app now!