Garlic Butter Mussels in White Wine Broth

Unpack 2 lbs of fresh live mussels from the mesh bag. Inspect each mussel individually; immediately discard any with cracked or crushed shells. If any mussels are slightly open, tap them gently on the kitchen counter 2 to 3 times; if they do not slowly close their shell within a few seconds, discard them completely.

Examine the inspect-approved mussels for fibrous hairy threads (beards) sticking out from between the shell halves. Using a dry paper towel for extra grip, grasp the beard firmly and pull straight downwards toward the shell hinge until it completely detaches.

Transfer the debearded mussels into a large bowl and fill completely with cold water. Use both hands to vigorously rub the mussels against each other under water for 2 minutes until the outer shells feel smooth. Leave them submerged in the cold water for 10 minutes to allow them to naturally purge sand and sediment.

While the mussels soak, cut 1 small peeled shallot into a very fine small dice. Next, smash 6 peeled garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and mince them finely. Mince 2 tsp of fresh thyme leaves and tender stems. Finally, finely mince 2 tbsp of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves.

After 10 minutes of soaking, scoop the mussels out of the cloudy bowl water with your hands and place them back into the colander. Rinse them thoroughly under cold running tap water for 30 seconds to remove any remaining surface grit, then shake off excess water.

Place a 5-quart sautoir or wide saucepan on stove over medium heat and add 2.5 tbsp of olive oil. Once warmed, add the finely diced shallot and 1/8 tsp of coarse salt. Sauté with a wooden spoon for 3 to 4 minutes until the shallots soften and turn lightly golden brown. Stir in the minced garlic and sauté for 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant.

Add the rinsed mussels into the pan with aromatic shallots and garlic, sautéing and gently tossing for 2 minutes over medium heat. Pour in 1 cup of dry white wine to deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up browned bits from the bottom. Pour in 1 cup of chicken stock, then season with 1/4 tsp of coarse salt and 1/4 tsp of freshly cracked black pepper. Stir gently to distribute ingredients evenly.

Place the lid tightly onto the sautoir pan and steam the mussels over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid and check the pan; the step is complete when all mussel shells have popped wide open and steam escapes.

Immediately add 3 tbsp of cold unsalted butter, 1.5 tbsp of minced fresh parsley, and 2 tsp of minced fresh thyme into the simmering broth. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 1 to 2 minutes off or over low heat until the butter melts and emulsifies into a smooth, shiny garlicky herb butter wine sauce.

Thickly slice an artisan bread loaf into 4 thick slices using a serrated bread knife. Arrange the bread slices flat in a single layer on an unlined metal sheet pan. Using a pastry brush, generously brush 2 tbsp of garlic confit oil evenly over the top side of each bread slice.

Place the baking sheet pan on the top rack of oven directly under broiler set to high heat. Broil for 1.5 to 2 minutes until top side is crisp and deep golden brown. Carefully flip bread slices with tongs and broil for another 1.5 minutes until both sides are evenly browned and toasted.

Use a large slotted spoon to transfer all cooked mussels from the pan into a large serving bowl. Generously ladle the hot garlic white wine butter broth over the mussels so every shell fills with sauce. Spread 4 soft garlic confit cloves over the golden toasted bread slices and nestle 1 or 2 slices into the bowl beside the mussels. Garnish with remaining 0.5 tbsp minced fresh parsley and serve hot immediately.