Steamed Mussels in White Wine Broth

It’s so easy to make steamed mussels – Shallots, garlic and white wine make the perfect broth, so much so, that you’ll need lots of bread to soak it all up.

We love this dish so much that we actually made up “Mussels Sunday” as an excuse to have them often (I know, we thought it was weird too).  Anyway, this is one of those dishes that just makes us happy.  We start with sliced shallots, which are in between an onion and garlic giving a slightly sweet and more delicate flavor, then we add garlic, white wine, mussels, a splash of cream and parsley.  Get a piece of crusty french bread for dipping and sit down with a big bowl of mussels and a glass of wine…..fabulous.

Tips for Making Steamed Mussels

If you have never made steamed mussels before at home, there are a few things to remember:

1. Buy mussels from a trusted seafood counter.  We only buy our mussels from Whole Foods or Balduccis, we have tried other stores, but just don’t find the quality to be as high.  The nice thing about mussels is the price, even at a gourmet store you will only be paying about $5 to $6 a pound.
   
2. Once you get home from the store, make sure the mussels are unwrapped and stored in a cool area (remember mussels are alive before you cook them, if you do not store them correctly, they could die before you get the chance to make the recipe)
   
3. Look through the mussels, if you find any cracked, chipped or open mussels, discard them.
   
4. About 20 minutes before steaming, place the mussels in a bowl full of fresh water, as the mussels breathe they will expel any sand or grit that is stored inside the shells.
5. Most mussels will have what is known as “the beard,” this is just fibers that emerge from the shell of the mussel.  To remove the beard, hold the mussel in one hand with a dry towel and pull the beard with your other hand towards the hinge end of the mussel, sometimes it can be a bit tricky to remove, but will come out.
6. Take the mussels out of the first bowl of water and place them into another bowl full of clean cold water.  Use a firm brush to remove additional sand and any barnacles then rinse them under cold water, dry then set aside ready to steam.
7. After steaming, if any of the steamed mussels have not opened, discard them.

Sidenote:

A few weeks back Adam and I were elated to find an email from Kristy at Refrigerator Soup asking if we were interested in participating in their 20 Questions feature that gives each blogger they’re own featured page for a week.  After a moment of surprise, we replied with a big YES, of course we would love to be a part of Refrigerator Soup’s 20 Questions feature.  The questions are great ranging from why we started our food blog to what our favorite kitchen gadget was, we had a blast answering them and just cannot wait to see our answers up on the site.  We will be featured this week (October 19 – October 23), so definitely make sure you go check us and Refrigerator Soup out.

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Steamed Mussels in White Wine Broth

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Shallots, garlic and wine make the perfect broth for steamed mussels. When cooking mussels if any are open before cooking, discard them. Once cooked, if any have not opened, discard those also.

Serve the mussels in a big bowl with bread on the side so you can soak up all that delicious broth.

Created By: Adam and Joanne Gallagher

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 
1 tablespoon butter
• 2 small shallots
, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 
1 1/2 pounds mussels
• 
8 ounces chicken stock
• 
1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons cream
• 
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 
lemon wedges
• 
salt and pepper
• Crusty French bread

Method

1. Clean and remove beards from mussels.
2. Preheat a large pot to medium and add olive oil and butter. Once butter has melted, add sliced shallots, a pinch of salt and pepper then cook for 5 minutes until the shallots have softened.
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add wine, chicken stock and mussels, then cover with a lid and steam mussels for 8-10 minutes or until all mussels open. (If any mussels do not open, discard).
4. Add cream and parsley, stir and season with salt if necessary.
5. Serve with lemon wedges and slices of crusty French bread.

2.2.6

About the Author

Adam

I'm Adam Gallagher and alongside my wife, Joanne, I photograph and share favorite recipes from our kitchen. Sharing our recipes began as a hobby, turned into a dream and now has become our business. I just love that.