Mussels Mariniere

I made this dish as an appetizer for Mother's Day. One of my mom's absolute favorite dishes is the mussels from Fat Hen in Charleston, SC. When we were at the Fat Hen, I asked about their recipe and was told that there were 2 pounds of butter in the mussels. Using the Fat Hen mussels as inspiration, I cut down on the butter and added a few other ingredients for my own take on mussels mariniere.

Ingredients:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 leek, halved, chopped, and washed (leeks have a lot of dirt and sand in them, so washing before cooking is necessary)
2 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 springs thyme
1 cup dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)
2 lbs. mussels
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Let mussels soak in bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Scrub mussels and remove the beard from each mussel. Discard any mussels that are broken or will not tightly shut. Set aside.

In a large stockpot heat butter over medium heat. Add leek and shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add mussels and thyme to the pot and stir. Add wine and season with salt and pepper. Cover and let steam for 8-10 minutes or until mussels open, shaking the pot a few times while cooking. Discard any mussels that didn't open. Serve with a crusty bread or baguette for dipping.