Serves 4
Notes
Mussels are an excellent choice for weeknight one-pot cooking. They’re economical, cook very quickly, and bring a lot of flavor to any dish. Traditionally, wild mussels could be sold very dirty and with stringy beards that needed to be removed one by one. Cultivated mussels (Prince Edward Islands are the most readily available) are much cleaner, and the shells simply need a quick scrubbing before going into the pot. Just make sure the mussels are fresh- trust your nose.
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- Kosher salt
- Peperoncino flakes
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes, and toss to coat. Cook, stirring often, until the potatoes begin to crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Crumble in the sausage. Cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is well browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, and cook until it begins to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a big pinch of peperoncino.
Add the white wine and thyme, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the mussels, adjust the heat to simmering, and cover the pot. Cook until all of the mussels have opened, 4 to 5 minutes, discarding any that don’t open. Season with salt if needed, and stir in the parsley. Set the whole pot on a coaster in the middle of the table with a serving spoon, and make sure you have one or two empty vessels on the table for the shells.
