Mussels with garlic and lime butter

Ingredients :

2 lb ( 1 kg ) mussels

1/2 cup ( 4 oz/125 g) butter,softened

2 cloves garlic,crushed

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

2 tbs chopped fresh chives

1 tsp grated lime zest

freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Methods :

Scrub mussels under cold running water with a nylon pad or stiff brush and pull off hair-like "beards",discarding any mussels that are cracked or do not close when tapped.Place in a large bamboo steamer or steamer basket.In a small bowl,mix butter,garlic,parsley,chives,lime zest and pepper.

Partially fill a large wok or pot with water (steamer should not touch water)and bring to a rapid simmer.Place steamer over water,cover,and steam untill mussels open.4-6 minutes.Remove from steamer,spoon butter mixture into each shell,and serve immediately with a tossed green salad and crusty bread.

Serves 4

Tip :Remove mussels from shells and place one or two on an endive (chicory/witloof) leaf,and serve topped with lime butter.Substitute shelled and deveined shrimp (prawns) for mussels.

recipes

seafood