MUSSELS WITH SHERRY & SAFFRON

Mussels with Sherry & Saffron image

Yield serves 2 to 4

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 pounds cleaned and debearded fresh mussels
1 orange
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sherry
pinch of saffron
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sprinkling of black pepper
1 loaf of crusty French or Italian bread

Steps:

In a colander, rinse the mussels with cold running water. Discard any mussels that are cracked or don't close when tapped. Grate the orange peel and juice the orange.
In a large pot with a lid, warm the olive oil on medium heat and cook the garlic for a minute. Add the sherry, 1/2 cup of water, the orange zest and juice, saffron, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Add the mussels, cover, and cook for 3 to 6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the shells open. Discard any unopened mussels.
With a slotted spoon, place the mussels in soup bowls and then ladle the broth over. Serve with plenty of crusty bread to sop up the juices.
Variations
Add chopped tomatoes and chopped parsley at the same time as the sherry.
After removing the mussels from the pot, stir 1/2 cup of half-and-half or cream into the broth.
Serving & menu ideas
Serve with a salad such as Baby Greens with Pecans & Pears (page 206).