Hi! I’m Alexandra Hedin – a lifestyle and entertaining expert from the Pacific Northwest. I provide inspiration, recipes, and crafts for creating a lovely life. It doesn’t take much to make everyday lovely – or to have fun. And isn’t that what life is about? All week I’m here showing you how I threw together a little springtime affair that takes only a little thought and some good friends.
The last three days I showed you how to start the evening off right with a fabulous little cocktail hour. On lovely nights outside like this, I like to serve an easy main course that’s more of a continuation of appetizers – Steamed Clams and Mussels are perfect.
This recipe comes from my book, Entertaining at Home. Enjoy!
Steamed Clams & Mussels
- 1 pound each, mussels and clams
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons thyme, chopped
- 2 scallions, greens and whites chopped
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 lemon, juiced
To prepare the shellfish, pull out the ‘beard’ of the mussels using needle nosed pliers. The beard is a small black piece that hangs out the flat side of the shell. It’s gritty to eat so it’s necessary to pull it off. Clean the outside of the shells well. Discard any shells that are open and not closing when you touch them.
In a deep wide bottomed pan, heat olive oil over meduim heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about one minute), then add herbs and scallions. Cook several minutes until scallions are limp. Add mussles, clams, wine, and lemon juice. Cover with a lid and let steam about ten minutes until all shells are open. If any shells do not open, discard them and do not eat.
Serve hot with melted butter and bread for soaking up the juice in the pan.
Alexandra Hedin is a Lifestyle and Entertaining Expert based in the Pacific Northwest. In Winter of 2010, Alexandra’s debut book was released. Entertaining at Home features ten complete parties including menus, simple recipes, crafts and helpful tips for hosting your own event. Alexandra grew up in the bustling kitchen of a home economics teacher helping to feed a large extended family for holidays and regular weekends together. She still spends her free time cooking in her Seattle kitchen for her husband and two young children.
Learn more at alexandrahedin.com
