Mussels w/ Creamy Tomato-Saffron Broth & Dipping Bread

Gluten-free

Ever sit with someone at a restaurant and order mussels… and wonder how you’re going to get the broth in your mouth with as little to no bread as possible? Maybe it’s just me, but that feeling sucks. Let’s try this conundrum – ever order or make mussels and the broth was too watery or flavorless? Whatever the issue, this recipe is the answer.

Ingredients

1lb. bag of mussels

1 large shallot or small yellow onion

4 garlic cloves

1 medium tomato

1 cup dry white wine

a pinch of saffron threads (see very descriptive photo below)

1/4 cup almond milk (or whatever milk you have on hand!)

1 bay leaf

a pinch of paprika

1/4 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions

Clean mussels: run them under cool water and one by one, scrub the shells with a brush and clip off the “beard” (anything you see sticking out of the shell), make sure any slime is scrubbed off. Set aside to air-dry or pat down with a paper towel.

Chop all vegetables and measure out the milk, leave it out to bring to room temperature. Heat a deep skillet with a top or dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tsp. of olive oil, then shallots for 2 minutes, followed by minced garlic. Add salt and pepper. Pour the wine and add the pinch of saffron and lower the heat a bit so it starts to simmer, stir with a wooden spoon for a minute as the saffron becomes more aromatic. Add parsley and paprika, then pour in your chopped tomato with any juice there was. Add the bay leaf and bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes. Start adding your mussels, cover the pot and leave for approximately 6 minutes.

Open the top and stir the mussels, discard any that did not open. Turn the stove off, and with a spoon hold some of the mussels to a side so you can pour in the room temp. almond milk. Stir until the broth is the desired color (orangey-pink).

Take the mussels out and place into a bowl, pour the broth over top and serve with bread. I made the simple bread recipe from Elana’s Pantry which was PERFECT for dipping in the sauce. I wouldn’t use this bread for a sandwich, but for soups or dinner/table bread – it hits the spot for me. So simple and easy, this is a staple. *The only thing I did differently from her recipe is use a 8.5 in. loaf tin and parchment paper instead of greasing it.

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