Floating around in Barton Springs, my friend Tim and I discussed dinner. Discussed going out, going to get wine, going to something or other, then we started daydreaming about what we’d ideally eat at that very moment. Somehow we turned the discussion to dinner at my place, and it went from 3 of us to 8 of us. I made a one-pot meal and we were good to go on a hot and sweaty Saturday night.

This is a very simple way to make mussels, takes very few ingredients, and is quite a cost effective way to feed a group sitting around a coffee table. Please note, the tomatoes are very fresh in this, it is not a cooked tomato sauce. It makes for a light and summery meal.

Mussels with Sausage and Tomatoes
1/2 pound ground chicken sausage
2 Tablespoons olive oil (more if needed)
5 Tablespoons garlic, sliced and chopped
3 large shallots (makes between 1/2-3/4 cup), thinly sliced
6 cups tomatoes, diced
pinch of chili flakes
3 cups dry white wine
4 pounds mussels
1/2 cup basil
pinch of salt

In a large soup pot, brown the sausage and cook just through. I got this from Richardson’s (it was the other half of the pound I used in the mushroom cups) so it was very lean. If the sausage is fatty, you won’t need to add any olive oil.

Over medium heat, add the garlic and shallots and simmer 4-5 minutes, do not let brown. Add the tomatoes and chili flakes and saute just for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the wine, bring to a low boil and then add the mussels. This is a large amount of mussels! Cover the pot and steam until the mussels have all opened: about 8-12 minutes. If any of the mussels don’t open, toss those out.

Tear the basil and throw on top. Add a pinch of salt if desired and serve.