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6 garlic cloves, minced
2 large shallots, finely chopped
6 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 tbsp butter
2 tsp finely chopped chipotle in adobo sauce
1/4 cup 35% cream
1/2 tsp salt
2 kg mussels
1/2 cup white wines
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Prepare garlic, shallots and tomatoes. In a large wide saucepan, melt 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter over medium heat. Add half the garlic and shallots. Stir just until fragrant, 2 min. Add tomatoes and chipotle. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally until tomatoes break down and sauce is thick, about 30 min. Stir in cream and salt.
When sauce is almost thick, scrub mussels. Pull off any thread clusters at sides of mussels. Discard any open or cracked mussels. In a very large, wide saucepan, melt remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and shallots. Stir just until fragrant, 2 to 3 min., then increase heat to high. Stir in mussels and wine. Cover and continue cooking, stirring halfway through until most mussels are open, 5 to 6 min. Remove from heat and then discard any unopened mussels.
Scoop mussels and liquid into 4 very large pasta bowls. Ladle hot tomato mixture overtop, then sprinkle with cilantro.
Calories 330, Protein 18.9g, Carbohydrates 16g, Fat 20.3g, Sodium 661mg.
At about $2 a pound, mussels are often called the poor man's (and woman's) shellfish. Instead of slowly smoking the tomatoes, as they do at the Inn at St. Peters, we used a dab of chipotle in adobo sauce to lend a seductive smokiness to the butter. Sop it up with a hunk of baguette.