Moules pour le repas de midi

I went to the open-air market in Saint-Aignan yesterday morning and bought some mussels (moules) from the fishmonger who sets up there every Saturday morning. They had to be cleaned (their "beards" and their barnacles removed), scrubbed, and well rinsed several times. It didn't take long. Once they are cleaned, they are really fast and easy to cook. See below.

You "sweat" some onion and/or garlic in big pot in melted butter. When the onions and garlic are soft, add some chopped parsley or celery leaves. Dump the mussels into the pot and pour on half a bottle of so of white wine. Add some black pepper, but don't add any salt — the mussels will release enough salty water as they cook. Cover the pot tightly, and either shake it or stir it two or three times as the mussels cook (for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how many you are cooking). They are done as soon as the shells are open. Eat them with French fries and some of the juice that's in the bottom of the pot, followed by a green salad. See more information in this post of mine.