Mussels in White Wine Shallot Sauce

Mussels in White Wine Shallot Sauce

I met Marguerite a few years ago and have been a big fan of her weekly newsletter packed with travel information and recipes. A full description of her background appears below. Visit her website at: http://www.margueritehenderson.com/
Here is a recipe from her Friday newsletter. Thank you, Marguerite!

MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE SHALLOT SAUCE
4 -5 pounds fresh mussels, cleaned
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallots, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
pinch of saffron
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 pound linguine, cooked “al dente”, drained

Have the mussels cleaned and ready to use. Make sure they are fresh, discarding any cracked or opened mussels.
In a large stockpot, heat the butter and oil. Saute the shallots for 1 minute, stirring often. Add the garlic, thyme and saffron. Cook 1 minute over medium heat. Add the wine , broth and parsley. Bring to a boil, add the mussels, cover the pot. Allow the mussels to cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes just until opened, stirring often. Add the linguine to the pot. Toss well. Serve at once with additional chopped parsley on top. Serves 4-5.

About Marguerite Henderson
Marguerite Marceau Henderson embarked on her culinary career in 1980 by teaching cooking classes at a local cook store, after living in Europe for over 3 years, incorporating her love of food and wine and her degree in Elementary Education. She has gradually built a reputation in Salt Lake City for having over 28 years experience as a cooking educator, caterer, restaurateur, food writer, cookbook author, public speaker, television personality, and food consultant.
Over the past 28 years she has had a catering business feeding such personalities as President George Bush (the First), Senator Robert Dole, Martha Stewart, Robert Redford, and hundreds of clients throughout the state of Utah.
Having opened two successful restaurants, she sold the award winning and charming Cucina, a gourmet deli in the Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City in 2001, and began writing cookbooks, restaurant reviews for local newspapers and magazines, and back to her first love – teaching cooking classes, once again.
Marguerite authored and self published Savor the Memories, a best-selling cookbook dedicated to her Sicilian born mother, Rose Filippi Marceau, an inspiration to Marguerite’s culinary endeavors. Her much anticipated second cookbook, Small Plates – Appetizers as Meals, was released in March 2006, published by Gibbs Smith Publishing and is now in its third printing. Marguerite’s third cookbook, Small Parties – Over 100 Recipes for Intimate Gatherings, also published by Gibbs Smith, has just been released in January 2008. Marguerite is currently working on her fourth cookbook, Small Sweet Indulgences, published by Gibbs Smith with release date scheduled for Fall 2011.
Her individually developed recipes are legendary, and are created for such companies as SuperTarget, The Ruby Red Grapefruit Council, and The California Cheese Board. She recently consulted with an eating establishment in Salt Lake City called The Neighborhood Grill and Pizza, formulating new menus and recipes.