Mussels Marinière

Serves 2 to 4.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 shallots, minced
- 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 bay leaf
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 1/2 lb. mussels, well scrubbed and debearded
- Baguette slices for serving
Directions
In a 3-quart casserole or large stockpot over medium-high heat, combine the wine, shallots, butter, 1 Tbs. of the parsley, the bay leaf and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the broth is aromatic, 4 to 5 minutes.Add the mussels, discarding any that do not close to the touch. Cover the pan tightly and steam the mussels until they open, about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally so they cook evenly. Discard any mussels that did not open.
To serve, spoon the mussels into large warmed soup bowls, ladle some of the broth over them, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. parsley. Serve immediately, with baguette slices for dipping in the broth.