modest midweek meal...

i love seafood. seafood does not always feel the same. as a result, the list of 'sea things that hate me' seems to get a bit longer with each new year. i can still enjoy fish, but shrimp and prawns are now 'eat at your own risk'. that discovery process might have involved a visit to  the Emergency Room. the details are still a bit fuzzy.

so, what is one to do?

you make mussels, of course!

mussels are awesome! they can be farmed in open waters with minimum impact. in fact, they have been known to improve the surrounding habitat in many places, largely by promoting a healthier local ecosystem where other species can thrive. so, there is that.

but, most of all, they are delicious... and cheap! a significant proportion of all the mussels imported to the US is farmed in Eastern Canada, including in Quebec. as a result, they are available fresh and (relatively) local all year... and they are an incredibly affordable seafood treat. 

so, i present to you, a modest midweek meal in Montreal.

[full disclosure: my kitchen is tiny, and the lighting sucks, so i had to drag out a light stand, which got in the way. this meant constantly tripping over stuff. so, a meal that should have taken less than ten minutes, ended up taking twice as long. did i mention that i really love this place?]

this is very bare bones, in terms of flavor. i used what was at hand, including (pre)chopped leeks, chopped green onions, a bit of roughly chopped jalapeño, and lime juice to taste.

grab the kitchen staples of butter and olive oil.

add a glug of oil and a pat of butter to a pan on medium heat. 

in go the leek, onion, and jalapeño.

add two pounds (one mesh bag) of mussels, washed and clean.

i added a generous sprinkling of kosher salt, along with my special pepper mix. this is a multi-colored pepper blend, with the addition of some coriander seeds from last Summer's balcony garden project. yes, i freshly grind my pepper and coriander... because, of course i do. and, no, i do not own a pepper grinder, mainly because i do not want one. i should also note that any (wholly unwanted) pepper grinders that are gifted to me will end up in the Salvation Army. yes, mom... i am talking to you. 

i am not really into white wine, not unless it is sparkling, but i do love a good hard cider! this one is from a cider house just outside of Montreal. in goes about half the can. 

i love that mussels open right up once the steam rises. you just need to throw the cover on the pan for a couple minutes, while you finish off the rest of that cider.

remove the cover and turn off the heat. this is where the extra-special magic comes it. first, an extra pat of butter near the side of the pan...

and some freshly squeezed lime juice over everything. then, give the pan a few gentle swirls to ensure that every bit of the jus will be extra delicious.

you will need an extra tasty sauce. where else are you gonna dip your chunks of baguette?

here comes the crazy bit though... i still had to take an antihistamine before eating this meal. i am still allergic to wheat, just not nearly as bad as with prawns and shrimp. the wheat allergy remains, thankfully, non-life-threatening. so, i can risk a touch of hives for the occasional delicious meal. this one certainly was. 

best part is, the whole meal (including the half a cider i drank, and other half of the baguette he had for breakfast the next day) cost about the same as a sandwich and a drink at a coffee shop. not bad for the middle of the week, no?