Mussels in White Wine Sauce

The first time I ever had mussels was at the now closed Green Room in Dallas. They were so amazing and delicious. They had pieces of mushrooms and garlic, spinach, ginger...they were just unbelievable. I've been making them at home since then and they are really great for an appetizer or light supper with a salad and bread for the sauce. Enjoy!

2 lbs of black mussels scrubbed and debearded (That sounds gross; but it's an important step! The beard is the little black, fibrous piece of the mussel. Just snip it off with kitchen shears or scissors.)
2 large shallots, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, sliced or chopped
1 tsp fresh or dried thyme, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 cups of dry white wine - you can use a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc (or white cooking wine)
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Kosher salt
Optional - sliced mushrooms, spinach or arugula

In a large pan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and add the shallots and thyme. Cook the shallots and thyme for a few minutes and then add the garlic. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes and then add the white wine, bay leaf and mussels. Put the lid on the pan and let the mussels steam for about 3-5 minutes or until all of them are open (discard any of them that aren't). Remove the mussels from the pan and keep them warm (I use a big bowl covered with foil) until your ready to serve them. Add the butter and salt into the pan to make a sauce. Let the butter, salt, thyme, shallots, garlic and anything else you want to add in cook together for a few minutes. If you want to add more wine to make more of a sauce, go ahead. This is a pretty versatile recipe and it's hard to screw up. Remove the bay leaf and pour the sauce over the mussels. Serve the mussels and sauce in individual bowls or just scoop them out of the big bowl family style. Serve with hot french bread for mopping up the sauce and a salad for an easy dinner.