MUSSELS WITH GARLIC AND FINES HERBES

Mussels with Garlic and Fines Herbes image

Provided by Amanda Hesser

Yield Serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 11

Special Equipment: Coffee filter or cheesecloth
3 pounds mussels
1 1/2 cups white wine
4 shallot lobes, sliced thin
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves (about 3 sprigs)
1/2 tablespoon chopped chervil leaves (about 4 sprigs)
2 teaspoons chopped tarragon leaves (about 2 branches)
1 teaspoon thinly sliced chive blades (about 3 blades)

Steps:

Clean the mussels: Scrub them well under cold running water. Debeard them, if necessary, pulling out any wiry fronds coming through the seams of the shells.
In a large pot or deep sauté pan, combine the white wine, half the shallot, and the bay leaf. Place the mussels on top and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat to steam open the mussels, 3 to 4 minutes. You may want to give them a stir after 2 minutes to disperse the heat evenly among the mussels. When the mussels have opened (if there are a few that don't, this is an indication that they are dead or bad - discard them), transfer them to four shallow bowls.
Strain the cooking liquid, through either a coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth, into a clean pan, add the olive oil, remaining shallot, and garlic, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the mixture slightly; it will condense to an opaque liquid. Taste. If it's too salty, add a little water. Sprinkle the herbs and spoon the sauce over the mussels. Serve promptly, with a tangy baguette torn into large pieces, which you can use to soak up the broth when you're finished with the mussels.