Vermouth is a fortified wine, meaning it’s been mixed with a distilled spirit. It comes in red or white, and both varieties can be dry or sweet. Any kind works here since the mussels release savory juices, and the blend of citrusy lemon verbena leaves and warm ginger complements vermouth well, so use whatever you have on hand.
Vermouth Steamed Mussels with Lemon Verbena, Sage, and Ginger
Place the mussels in a large bowl and cover with
cold water. Let them sit for 1 minute to spit out any sand, then lift them
out and set them into a colander (don’t dump them with the water into
the colander, otherwise the sand on the bottom of the bowl will go right
back on the mussels). Discard any mussels with cracked shells. Pluck
or cut off any beards, then rinse and scrub the shells well to thoroughly
clean them. Repeat the process as needed until there is no more sand
or grit left.
Heat a Dutch oven or wide pot over high heat for 5 minutes. Once the Dutch oven is really hot, add the mussels, shallot, celery, vermouth, and spice blend. Cover immediately and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover, stir well to mix everything evenly, cover again, and cook for another 4 minutes. Uncover, stir again, cover, and cook until the mussels open, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Remove the pot from the heat, stir well, and generously drizzle with
some oil. Serve immediately with good bread to soak up the sauce (discard any mussels that don’t open).