Mussels with White Wine and Garlic.
Mussels steamed with shallot, garlic, seaweed and white wine (or…rosé!!), then topped with fresh parsley. This is an elegant, healthy and stunningly simple dish that’s perfect served as an appetizer or main dish. Serve with plenty of toasted and buttered bread for savoring every last drop of the broth.
Mussels. Do you love them? Do you ever cook them? I always forget how simple and delicious they are to make. They can be intimidating … but if you love mussels, don’t let that stop you from making them at home! After cooking them once, that intimidation factor will be gone.
Besides being so tasty and so versatile as far as flavors to cook them with, why are mussels so great??
- Mussels are nutrient-dense little beauties. We’re talking rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, phosphorous, zinc, selenium, manganese, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C (surprisingly), folate and more
- Mussels are inexpensive. As far as fresh seafood goes these are a bargain. We bought 2 lbs of mussels today for $7 at our local fish market The Clam Man. The rule of thumb with mussels is to serve about 1 lb per person
- Mussels are a sustainable seafood. Mussels provide net environmental benefits because they remove excess nutrients in the water. They are filter feeders and filter 0.5 to 1.25 gallons of water every hour!
How do I store mussels if I am not going to cook them right away?
- Remove the mussels from the plastic bag they came in
- Place mussels in a large bowl and cover with a clean damp cloth DO NOT STORE IN WATER, this will kill them!
- Place in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them – but plan to cook them as soon as possible
- Store in fridge (up to a few days and make sure they smell like the ocean)
- Drain any water that collects in the bowl
How do I know the mussels are alive and ok to eat?
- Always purchase your mussels from a reputable source or store
- Discard any mussels with broken shells. Also discard any mussels with open shells that don’t close when lightly tapped on the counter – that means the mussels is dead and not safe to eat
- Mussels should always smell fresh and salty, just like the sea
How do I prep the mussels for cooking?
- Scrub the mussels under cold running water to remove any grit or sand
- If the mussels contain their beard (fibrous thread attached) tug to remove before cooking
How do I cook mussels?
- For this recipe, I heated butter and olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and cooked until fragrant and translucent.
- Then, I added the mussels, wine (only 1/4 to 1/2 cup, you don’t need much) and seaweed (kelp) then covered the pot. If you have a clear lid, that will work best because you can see if the mussels are beginning to open. Then, I turned up the heat to high.
- Cook for about 2 minutes, then remove the lid and gently stir mussels. Remove any that have opened.
- Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until all the mussels have opened.
- If any mussels didn’t open, discard them.
- Pour the mussels with broth into a serving dish.
- Serve with toasted and buttered baguette slices.
Here’s how to make these Mussels with White Wine and Garlic:
Mussels with White Wine and Garlic
Mussels steamed with shallot, garlic, seaweed and white wine (or…rose!!), then topped with fresh parsley. This is an elegant, healthy and stunningly simple dish that’s perfect served as an appetizer or main dish. Serve with plenty of toasted and buttered bread for savoring every last drop of the broth.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 shallots minced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine or rosé
- 1/4 cup ready-cut kelp chopped
- 1 baguette sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 lemon halved
Instructions
- Put the mussels in a colander and rinse them in cold water. Inspect well. Discard any mussels with broken shells. If any mussels are open, gently tap them on the counter. If they close, they are fine to eat. If they remain open, discard. If you see any beard (this is the green piece – looks like seaweed), gently pull it off.
- Add butter and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to a large pot (we used a spaghetti pot) over medium heat. Add in minced garlic and minced shallot and cook just until they are softened, stirring frequently. This will take a few minutes.
- Toast baguette slices. Spread with remaining tablespoon butter, sprinkle with sea salt and set aside.
- Add the mussels into the pot gently. Pour the wine and chopped kelp over the mussels and give them a gentle stir, coating the mussels. Place the lid on and increase the heat to high. After about 2 minutes, give the mussels a gentle stir – this will ensure they are cooking evenly. Remove any mussels that have opened and place in the serving bowl. Put the lid back on and continue cooking for few more minutes until most or all of the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that haven’t open up to this point, as they’re probably dead and not safe to eat.
- Place mussels into serving bowls. Pour the broth overtop the mussels. Sprinkle each bowl with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with toasted baguette slices. Place a large bowl on the table for empty shells.
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