Crostini With Mussels

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 8 slices stale bread (use something peasant-style with a good crunchy crust)
• 1/2 cup wine vinegar
• 2 lbs mussels
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 hot chili pepper, minced very fine (such as thai bird chili or red serrano)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3/4 cup dry wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

Recipe

• 1 fill a high-sided saute pan with olive oil 1" deep. place over medium heat. dip bread in vinegar, then let drain on clean towels for a few minutes. fry bread in hot oil until golden brown and crunchy. remove to paper towels to drain.
• 2 clean the mussels - remove beards, scrape, and rinse. discard any that do not close when tapped. place in a large enough pot, cover, and cook over high heat until they open. discard any which do not open. drain mussels, reserving the liquid. add water to bring the volume to 1 cup. remove mussels from shells and set aside, discarding shells.
• 3 heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan. add garlic and chili pepper and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. add mussels, reserved liquid and bay leaves. simmer 5 minutes, then add wine. cook another 5 minutes, then add parsley.
• 4 place 2 crostini in each bowl. top with a ladleful of mussels and cooking liquid.