Fra Diavolo Mussels

Ingredients:
2 bags of mussels (about 4-5 pounds)
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, diced small
2 chipotles in adobo, diced
1 tsp chili powder
3 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp seafood seasoning
29 oz can of tomato sauce
2 pinches of red pepper flakes
1 cup of seafood stock
salt and pepper
1 tsp honey
2 TBSP butter
Parsley for garnish if you like
Italian bread brushed with olive oil and garlic and toasted under the broiler


Directions:
1. Rinse your mussels, discard any open ones and keep in refrigerator until ready.
2. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a dutch oven. Heat up to medium low.
3. Add your onion and some salt and pepper and cook about 5 minutes.
4. Add your garlic and cook another 3 minutes.
5. Add chipotles in adobo, chili powder, Worcestershire, seafood seasoning and stir - cooking 3 minutes.
6. Add tomato sauce, seafood stock, red pepper flakes and a little more salt and pepper.  Stir and simmer for about 10 minutes.
7. Finish with honey and 2 TBSP of butter. Stir and let it melt in.
8. turn heat to medium and add half of your mussels. Toss to coat and put the lid on. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring once.
9. Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out into big bowls and serve with crusty bread for dipping. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
*I only do half at a time so by the time you get to the bottom the mussels aren't cold.  If you are cooking for many people eating quickly, you can do them all at once in a big pot.  It is only 2 of us and we cant eat that fast - so I do them in batches.


Even though I didn't have wine with this dish today there are a few wines that would go with this. If this dish sounds spicy to you, then you probably would enjoy a Chenin Blanc or a Sauvignon Blanc wine. This will give you some acidity and help to calm the spice for you. If you can handle spice, maybe try a full-bodied Pinot Noir. This will most likely intensify the flavor for you and make the dish even tastier! 


Enjoy
~Julianne