Belgian mussels in white wine

Carefully inspect each shell: fresh mussels must be closed. An open raw mussel is a sign of spoilage. Cooked-frozen mussels should be open. If there is a chip on the mussel shell, it should not be eaten as it is dangerous. Scrape the shells with a knife or steel sponge in case there are traces of algae and fluff left on them. However, you cannot avoid sand on your teeth; this is the nature of the product.

Rinse the shells under a strong stream of cold water.

Slice the leek and celery stalk very thinly into half-rings. Place them in a wide pot or thick-bottomed pan and sauté in olive oil over medium heat for a maximum of 2 minutes, until a light golden hue appears.

Add mussels to the stewed onions and celery. Cook for another 5 minutes over medium heat.

Pour water and white wine into the container with mussels, then immediately add butter. The butter is needed to thicken the sauce.

Chop the parsley leaves very finely. When the sauce thickens slightly, add the parsley to the pot. Turn off the heat.

Dry the bread on the grill or in a pan. Place the aioli sauce in a separate bowl.

Transfer the mussels to a deep bowl. In Belgium, special pots are used for mussels in white wine, which have lids where empty shells can be placed. But at home, a regular deep bowl will do. It should be deep so the mussels stay in the sauce.

Carefully place onions, celery, and parsley over the mussels. Pour the sauce left in the pot or pan where the mussels were cooked on top.