3 pounds Penn Cove mussels, beards removed

½ cup shallots, chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 whole bay leaf

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups dry white wine

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven sauté the shallots and garlic with the olive oil until translucent, add the white wine, black pepper, bay leaf and parsley, cook at a boil for 2 minutes.

Add the cleaned mussels to the broth, cover the pan with a lid and cook over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, occasionally shaking and tossing the pan to mix the mussels.

Ladle the mussels and broth into serving bowls or from the cooking pot for conviviality, (discarding any mussels that have not opened), serve with plenty of crunchy French bread for dunking.

Wine suggestion: A crisp Muscadet.