Mussel Appetizer

Breakaway Mussels! An exciting breakaway in Rugby brings fans to their feet the world over – France, Italy, New Zealand…and Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Here, in K-Bay, as we Alaskans call it, an equally thrilling kind of “breakaway” occurs at low tide. We paddle out in kayaks to the exposed rocks in the Bay, “breaking” clusters of mussels off the rocks and filling bags made of fine-mesh netting. Once filled, the bags are trailed behind our kayaks and clean themselves in the pristine waters, a rich promise for the feast to come.

In a large pot, saute a large onion and garlic to taste in two cubes of butter, until the onion is soft. Cover the bottom of the pot with at least an inch of the Lawer Estates Unoaked Chardonnay. Add 5 lbs. of uncooked mussels. Cover and steam the mussels until they open. Pour off 2 cups of the liquid from the pot into a sauce pan. Put the cover back on the mussels to keep them warm. Bring the cup of liquid from the pot to a boil in a saucepan. Then reduce the heat to simmer and add 2 cups of whipping cream. Divide the mussels into bowls. Pour an equal amount of the cream sauce over the mussels in each bowl. Garnish each bowl with chopped parsley. Serve with fresh crusty bread and Lawer Estates Unoaked Chardonnay.