Here’s a welcoming dish, delicious and eye-catching.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 to 10 as an appetizer

　　2 pounds mussels

　　3 or 4 bay leaves, preferably fresh

　　2 tablespoons sliced garlic

　　

For Serving

1 cup Salsa Verde (1/2 recipe on page 362)

　　1 cup or so Salmoriglio (page 366)

　　1 cup or so Smooth Sweet Red Pepper Sauce (page 364)

　　Lemon wedges

　　Sprigs of fresh parsley

　　

Step 1

Rinse and scrub the mussels well under running water. If the mussels have hairy beards attached, pick these off just before cooking.

　　

Step 2

Pour 2 cups of water into a 14-inch skillet or other wide shallow pot; drop in the bay leaves and garlic. Bring to the boil over high heat and cook, covered, for a couple of minutes, to release the flavors.

　　

Step 3

Lift the cover, dump in all the mussels, and cover again. Cook over high heat, shaking the pot frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until all the mussels have opened. Remove from the heat. Scoop the mussels out of the pot with a spider, onto a platter or into a colander, to drain further and cool (save the cooking liquor for broth or other dishes). When cool, remove and discard the upper shells of the mussels, leaving the meats attached to the lower shells.

　　

Step 4

Before serving, top each mussel with a small spoonful of salsa verde or other sauce and arrange on serving platters—see the flowerlike presentation in the photo opposite page 1. Place lemon wedges on the platters if you like; a bunch of Italian parsley on the side of the dressed mussels is another nice decorative touch.

　　From Lidia's Family table by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright (c) 2004 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Published by Knopf.Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York. Jay Jacob's journalism has appeared in many national magazines.From the Trade Paperback edition.