Go Back
Mussels
Daytona Strong, www.outside-oslo.com

Steamed Mussels with Leeks and Root Vegetables

Dampet Blåskjell med Purre og Rotgrønnsaker
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Nordic
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pounds mussels
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large leek white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
  • 3 small (14 ounces total) parsnips peeled and cut into 1/3-inch pieces
  • 32 ounces low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups dry white wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup freshly-grated horseradish plus more for garnish

Method
 

  1. Rinse the mussels, and debeard if necessary.
  2. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until it glistens, then add leeks and sauté until they soften, 3-4 minutes. Add the parsnips, rutabaga, chicken broth, white wine, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Add the mussels, cover, and steam until the shells open—this should take only a few minutes. (Discard any mussels with broken shells or ones that do not open.) Transfer the mussels to a serving dish and cover to keep warm.
  3. Add the butter to the pan along with the chopped herbs and horseradish, stirring until melted. Pour over the mussels, then sprinkle with additional dill and horseradish to finish.

Notes

Mussels are really quite simple to prepare—they could even be considered a weeknight meal. The trick is knowing how to handle them. They won’t last long, so buy them the day you plan to serve them. As soon as you get home, transfer the mussels to a large bowl and cover loosely with a damp paper towel. 
When you’re ready to start cooking, give the mussels a quick rinse in a colander, and remove the beards if necessary. Spread them out over a baking sheet covered with a paper towel and check them over—if any are open a bit, give those a tap on a hard surface. If they close, they’re still alive, which is good. If they don’t close, then discard them. Again, after cooking, check for health: Discard any that did not open while cooking.