Mussels are a shellfish favorite. During the summer and fall seasons, mussels in a white wine sauce is a perfectly delicious and hot meal. This recipe is particularly great for an appetizer, but can also be easily made into a meal with a side of linguini or angel hair. Whether cooking for a dinner party, your significant other, or a larger group, you’ll find these mussels to be a hot commodity in any environment.
Buying Fresh Mussels
When you go to the fish market or a local fishery, be sure your mussels don’t smell fishy. You want them to smell like the ocean, naturally. Cracked or loose shells are a red flag! Purchase your mussels fresh so you can cook them immediately. You’ll need about two pounds for this recipe.
Other Ingredients
Along with the fresh mussels, be sure to have: ½ cup dry white wine, 2 Tbsp butter, ¼ cup minced shallots, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 2 tsps flour (optional), and ¼ cup minced parsley.
The Process
Start by cleaning the mussels. Soak them in a bowl of water for 10-15 minutes. Throw out any mussels that are open, noticeably empty, or not closing. Remove any long hairy threads still attached to the shells.
Steam the mussels in a large pot with the wine until the mussels open up. Cover, bring to a boil, and then let simmer for about 5-7 minutes until mussels look soft. After you remove the mussels, keep the cooking broth. Strain it after letting the sand settle, and filter it out so you’re just keeping the cleaner, hot liquid.
Sauté the garlic and butter in the shallots and cook until translucent in a medium saucepan. Add flour if you’re okay with gluten, and you want your sauce on the thicker side. Skip the flour if you desire sauce with a lower viscosity. Combine the cooking broth with the ingredients in the saucepan, and add the minced parsley when the sauce is smooth and how you want it.
Serving
When you’re ready to serve, pour the sauce over the cooked mussels. Serve with bread on the side, and treat your company to a wonderful, nautical meal. If you try this recipe, let us know how you like it! Share your dish on our social media, as we love hearing from our followers.
For over 65 years, the Zaffiro family of Channel Fish Processing (CFP) has provided the freshest, highest quality North Atlantic fish to wholesalers everywhere. Over the years, Channel has grown and developed from a processor of Cod and Haddock into a family run company that conducts business globally and provides a wide variety of fresh and frozen products. If you love this blog, share it with your friends, and stay up to date with our blogs.
