Martini Mussel Madness

Wash, debeard, and scrub the mussels as follows: Place the mussels in a colander in the sink and run cool water over them. Using your hands or a clean scrubbing brush, rub off any debris like seaweed, sand, barnacles, or mud spots that could be on the shell. Use a knife to gently remove any beards. If you find any mussels with open shells, lightly tap that mussel against the side of the sink. If it closes, keep it. If it stays open, discard (DO NOT EAT).

Set the mussels aside.

Using a food processor, finely chop the parsley, olives, olive brine, garlic, and lemon zest. Pour in ¼ cup of olive oil and the lemon juice and process into a pesto.

In a large, deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid, melt ¼ cup of butter over medium-high heat.

Add the onions and cook until softened, 5 - 6 minutes. Season the onions with salt and pepper. Stir in the pesto.

Add the gin and vermouth. Stir and cook until reduced, about 1 minute.

Add the mussels in one layer, if possible, cover and steam until opened, 6 - 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard any unopened mussels.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the mussels and shake the pan to melt it into the sauce (this is a thin sauce).

Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the mussels and place them in a serving dish. Pour the sauce into a separate dish for dipping. Serve with the bread for mopping.

To eat, remove a mussel from the shell, dip it in the sauce and pop it in your mouth!