Beer-Steamed Mussels with Corn and Basil

 I've lived in Maine all of my adult life and much of my youth, however, mussels seem to have escaped my palate. I think I always looked at them the way I look at clams, with trepidation (had a very gritty clam-eating experience in my youth).

Heavens, these little beer-steamed confections are impossibly exquisite! I adore them! And there is something about the sweet jumble of black and white and yellow and green colors on the serving platter, in a delicious creamy liquid, that makes you want to sit and enjoy a cold brew with your best friend, taking bites of the mussels, enjoying the flavorful corn/cream sauce, dipping bread to soak it all up. Sweet!

And the best thing? It hardly takes any time at all to put it together and deliver to table. Well, two best things. It hardly costs anything. Now, keep in mind, this will not fill you up, unless you have some kind of enormous pile of mussels. This would be a starter for a meal, or a delightful way to take an afternoon break.

The fellow who submitted this recipe? Jake Austin, who is pictured with Will Fisher, enjoying a brew. They started Austin Street Brewery in 2014. Thanks, Jake, for introducing me to seafood and beer that are mighty enjoyable together!

BTW, the Resident Archaeologist loves mussels and was so hungry, he couldn't wait for the picture to be taken. Hence, the platter has already been half-emptied! Yes, this recipe is as good as it looks.