Ingredients

1 pound black mussels (about 3 dozen), scrubbed and debearded
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon arrowroot
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut in half
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Directions

Soak the mussels in a bowl of cold water or in a sink for 30 minutes. Any sand will come out and sink to the bottom of the bowl.

Preheat a grill pan over medium heat until very hot. Add the garlic, onion and wine. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the mussels and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. All mussels should be open by that time. Any mussels that have not opened after 8 minutes should be discarded.

With a slotted spoon, remove the mussels from the pan and place on a platter. Cover with foil and set aside.

Whisk the arrowroot into the lemon juice and add to the grill pan. Add the butter and jiggle the pan to melt the butter and incorporate it into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the mussels and sprinkle the parsley over the top. Serve immediately. Serves four as an appetizer or two as a main dish over pasta. The book recommends serving the mussels with crusty bread to soak up the juice. Recipe from: "Grill Pan Cookbook" by Jamee Ruth. Chronicle Books.