Mussels in Garlic Wine Sauce

A big bowl of plump, steamed Mussels in Garlic Wine Sauce, so good with grilled sourdough bread.  Add a crisp green salad and a glass of white wine and that’s dinner for me!

This is one of our favorite bounty-of-the-sea treats.  We love those big, meaty mussels swimming in a bowl of savory sauce of garlic and white wine. 

You do not have to pay big bucks at a restaurant for a bowl of sumptuous, briny-tasting steamed mussels you can do this at home.  Now is the day to be adventurous and creative.

Surprisingly, mussels are very budget-friendly.  Plus they are so easy and quick to prepare.  There are a few basic things to know about mussels that will make your adventure memorable. 

Mussels 101:

• Buy fresh mussels from a trusted fishmonger.  By law, there will be a dealer-tag attached to the packaging to indicate the harvest time and shipment date.
• Mussels are alive and usually sold in mesh plastic bags and packed in ice.  My rule is to cook them within two days of buying them.   The sooner, the better.
• Until ready to cook the mussels, remove them from their plastic bag and keep them refrigerated in a colander of ice.  Set a bowl under the colander to catch the melted ice; mussels do not like to be in fresh water as it suffocates them.
• When ready to cook the mussels, sort through them and discard any that are cracked or chipped.   Some of the mussels may be open a bit, tap lightly on the shell while under running cold water.  If it is alive it will close.  If the mussel doesn’t close, you should discard it.  You should throw away any mussels that do not open after cooking.
• Clean the mussels by rinsing lightly under cold water while scrubbing the shells with a brush to remove any soil.   
• Mussels have a ‘beard,’ and it looks like a long piece of seaweed stuck inside the shell.  To remove the beard grab it and pull sharply toward the pointed end of the mussel shell.   To get a good grip you may need to hold it firmly with a paper towel. Sometimes the beard has already been removed or partially removed by the shipper.  Since the mussel begins to die after the beard is removed, I prefer to buy the mussels with the beard still attached.
• After cleaning and removing the beard, the mussels will be ready to cook!   There are endless ideas to prepare these delicacies.

What Kind of Wine Goes with Mussels?

That is a great question!  We are using a white Sauvignon Blanc in our recipe and we finished off the bottle with our dinner.  Any good, dry white wine such as a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc or a Sémillon is an excellent choice.  

How We prepared Our Mussels in Garlic Wine Sauce:

This is a really easy recipe and it only takes 15 minutes to cook.  That makes this a fast and easy dinner that you can have any night of the week. Make sure you scroll down to our printable recipe card for complete instructions.

1. Sauté the shallots and garlic in olive oil, then add the chicken broth. 
2. After the mixture comes to a boil, add the mussels and the wine. 
3. Finally, cover and simmer the mixture for two or three minutes until the mussels open.

Now, concentrate all the flavors in the sauce!

1. Portion out the mussels into serving bowls but leave that yummy broth in the pot. 
2. Bring it to a boil to reduce it.
3. Add some butter to thicken it up a little and give it more flavor. 

Pour the sauce over each serving of mussels and garnish with chopped parsley.  Serve with grilled sourdough bread and the rest of that bottle of white wine!

Here are some other recipes you might like:

• Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe
• Lemongrass Coconut Steamed Mussels
• Grilled Swordfish Steak with Lemon Dill Aioli Sauce
• Seared Scallops with Romesco Sauce
• Seafood Stew
• Sake-Red Miso Glazed Sablefish with Wasabi Emulsion

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