Mussels in Wine

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Rinse the mussels thoroughly under cold water just before cooking, discard any broken, cracked, and open ones that do not close when tapped.
• 2
  First, cook the mussels and initially season them. If you want to ensure that no stray grain of sand or dirt from the shell ends up in the sauce, it's better to cook the mussels separately and make the sauce separately. It only takes a few minutes.
• 3
  Pour dry white wine, a piece of butter, bay leaves, a bit of parsley, and salt into a pot. Bring to a boil, add the drained sorted mussels, and cover. They will cook for a maximum of 4-5 minutes. Shake the pot occasionally. Stir once or twice during this time. Do not leave them for more than 5 minutes, or they will overcook.
• 4
  Now comes the final check. Transfer only the wide-open and beautifully yellow, orange, and pink ones to a serving bowl or pot. Discard any white ones you find, and also discard those that did not open. Never try to pry open a mussel. It could backfire terribly.
• 5
  Cover them with a damp cloth and set aside for a moment. The remaining liquid is gold! Do not pour it out. Just strain it through a fine sieve and cloth.
• 6
  Melt a significant amount of butter in a pot and let it foam. Add thinly sliced celery stalk, after a while finely chopped shallot, and then thin slices of garlic. After two minutes, add the mussel broth and freshly ground pepper. Simmer for a few moments. Taste during this time, it may need more salt. Or, on the contrary, reduce the saltiness with a bit of cream.
• 7
  Then add the prepared mussels, just heat them under the lid to make them hot. And you can serve, most often with a French baguette or with fries and mayonnaise.