- 2 cups of light, dry white wine or 1 cup dry white vermouth
- ½ cup minced shallots, or green onions, or very finely minced onions
- 8 parsley sprigs
- ½ bay leaf
- ¼ tsp thyme
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 6 Tb butter
- 6 quarts scrubbed, soaked mussels
- ½ cup roughly chopped parsley
- An 8- to 10-quart enameled kettle with cover
- Bring the wine to the boil in the kettle with the rest of the ingredients listed. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes to evaporate its alcohol and to reduce its volume slightly.
- Add the mussels to the kettle. Cover tightly and boil quickly over high heat. Frequently grasp the kettle with both hands, your thumbs clamped to the cover, and toss the mussels in the kettle with an up and down slightly jerky motion so the mussels will change levels and cook evenly. In about 5 minutes the shells will swing open and the mussels are done.
- With a big skimmer, dip the mussels into wide soup plates. Allow the cooking liquid to settle for a moment so any sand will sink to the bottom. Then ladle the liquid over the mussels, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.