Steaming shellfish is one of the easiest, quickest meals you can put together. With a little prep, you can have it ready to eat in under fifteen minutes. And the combinations are practically endless: combine white wine/dry vermouth/beer/broth with onion/leek/shallots and clams/mussels/ shellfish, and then finish with basil/cilantro/parsley.  A little bit of lemon, garlic, and butter are always a good idea too. Mix and match until you find your dream combination.  Just make sure to include plenty of grilled bread to soak up that broth! 

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds mussels

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 jalapeños, thinly sliced

1/2 cup thinly sliced fennel

12 ounces (1 can or bottle) witbier or wheat beer

1 lemon, sliced

1 lime, sliced

1/2 bunch parsley, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS

Rinse the mussels under cold running water while scrubbing with a vegetable brush. Discard any with broken shells. Heat oil in a 6 to 8-quart stockpot. Sauté the onion, garlic, jalapeno, and fennel for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the mussels and give them a good toss. Add beer, lemon slices, and lime slices; cover the pot and steam over medium-high for 5 minutes until the mussels open. Toss in the parsley and butter and stir to coat.  Serve with plenty of grilled bread.