Mussels in white wine sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 kg mussels
• 1 small leek
• 2 stalk(s) celery
• 2 carrots
• 2 onions
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 1 bunch parsley, flat
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• white pepper, freshly ground
• ¾ liter white wine, dry

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Brush the mussels thoroughly under cold water and remove any adhesive threads. Scrape any clinging barnacles from the shells with a knife. Discard any mussels that have already opened. Clean the leeks and celery, rinse them, and cut them into fine slices. Peel the carrots, peel the onions, and garlic. Cut the carrots into sticks, the onions into rings, and the garlic into small dice. Rinse the parsley and thyme and shake them dry. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the prepared vegetables. Add the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves and season with plenty of pepper. Add the mussels, pour in the wine, and cook everything covered, shaking the pot several times, for about 5 minutes until the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that have not opened. Serve the mussels with the stock, discarding the herbs.