Mussels in White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp avocado or olive oil
2 Tbsp finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine (or broth)
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp tomato paste (optional)
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
3 lb mussels, scrubbed
4 slices good crusty bread, buttered

Directions:

Press Saute on the Instant Pot and when the display says Hot, add the oil and the onion. Saute for a minute or two to soften them and then add all other ingredients except the bread. Lower the heat by pressing Saute a couple of times. You'll see on the display that it goes from More to Less to Normal. Stop when it's on Normal.

Close the pot but leave the valve open - set to Venting, not Sealing. Leave it for 2 minutes. While they cook, pan fry the buttered bread on both sides to a nice golden brown. If you like, add a minced clove of garlic to the butter before browning the bread or even a sprinkle of garlic powder.

After the two minutes, hit Cancel and open the Instant Pot. If you want to enrich the broth, add 1 or 2 tablespoons butter and stir gently. Serve the mussels in bowls with the lovely cooking broth and the toast to soak it up.

And think of the ocean. Our lovely oceans and their bounty. I'm so fortunate to live on Vancouver Island on Canada’s west coast where local mussels are available as part of our ever-changing seafood offerings. Something wonderful is always in season. This time, it's mussels. Enjoy.