Mussels Recipe in Garlic Wine Broth

This quick and easy-to-make Mussels Recipe uses fresh steamed mussels cooked in a roasted shallot and garlic white wine broth. It is served with toasty bread for the perfect appetizer. You will love the delicious garlicky flavors in the mussels.

I’m a massive fan of cooking and serving seafood because it’s simple to prepare and cooks in minutes. If you’re like me and love it, try my Sicilian Swordfish or my Blackened Salmon.

Mussels

Mussels are a bivalve mollusk in the same family as clams, oysters, and scallops. Eighty percent of the mussels sold in North America come from Prince Edward Island on the East Coast of Canada. They are black and roughly 2 to 3 inches in length. The other popular mussel is a green lip mussel or New Zealand green mussel. These are green around the lop and are 3 to 4 inches long. They’re bigger and meatier but share the same slightly salty, slightly sweet flavors as the Edward Island ones.

These can be cooked in many ways, but braising or steaming them is the most popular. When using this cooking method, they are commonly cooked in a garlicky wine broth and served with toasty bread. My recipe is one that I frequently made and served as an appetizer at a restaurant I worked at. It’s simple, it has few ingredients, and it is delicious.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Mussels – I used fresh Prince Edward Island mussels for this recipe. However, you can also use green lip mussels if they’re available.
• Oil – Olive oil is the best oil to use. However, you can use any neutral-flavored oil you prefer.
• Onion — I used a shallot, but you can use a red, white, sweet, or yellow onion. You’ll also need some whole garlic cloves.
• Wine — This recipe works with any dry white wine, such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio.
• Stock – I prefer to use chicken stock when braising the mussels. However, you can also use water or vegetable stock.
• Butter – I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking to control the sodium content.
• Herbs — The mussels are finished with fresh parsley and thyme. You can substitute dry herbs 1 to 1, and in doing so, you will add them to the dish along with the mussels.
• Bread – While this is optional, it’s highly recommended to serve toasty bread alongside the mussels so that you can mop up the sauce when they’re done. Any good artisan bread will work.

How to Make Steamed Mussels

Remove the beards from the mussels.

Add them to a bowl, submerge them in cold water, and vigorously scrub them using your hands. Let them sit in the water for 5 to 10 minutes to remove any sediment, sand, etc.

In the meantime, prepare the shallot, garlic, and herbs.

Drain the mussels and give them one final brief rinse under cold water.

Add oil to a large sauce pot or rondeau over medium heat.

Stir in the shallots, gently season with salt to draw out any moisture, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or just until lightly browned.

Mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, which only takes 30 to 45 seconds.

Pour in the drained mussels and sauté for 2 minutes to start incorporating the ingredients.

Deglaze with white wine.

Pour in the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.

Mix the ingredients, add on a lid, and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mussels pop open.

Finish by stirring in the butter, thyme, and parsley.

Adjust the seasonings, sprinkle with optional minced parsley, and serve with toasty bread.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: These mussels are meant to be eaten right away.

How to Store: This will hold well in the refrigerator, covered up for up to 3 days. If you want to make this ahead of time, cook and cool the broth, and then reheat and add in the mussels. It will also freeze well covered for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add your desired portion to a small saucepot and heat over low heat until hot. 

Chef Notes + Tips

• When storing fresh mussels, place them in a colander over a bowl and cover them with ice. Mussels like very cold atmospheres but also need to breathe. Do not submerge them in cold water, and store them.
• If you do not drink wine, skip it and use stock or water.
• A rule of thumb for wine is if you wouldn’t drink it, then don’t cook with it.
• For maximum flavor, you start with dry herbs and finish with fresh herbs.
• I brushed the bread with garlic confit oil and cooked them under the broiler on high in the upper third of the oven for 2 minutes per side. I then spread a few garlic confit cloves onto the bread before serving.
• There is enough braising liquid for 2 pounds of mussels.

More Seafood Recipes

• Fish Sandwich
• Cioppino
• Broiled Salmon
• Bang Bang Shrimp
• Grilled Lobster Tails

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Mussels Recipe in Garlic Wine Broth

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5 from 6 votes

This quick and easy-to-make Mussels Recipe uses fresh steamed mussels cooked in a roasted shallot and garlic white wine broth.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 peeled small diced shallot
• 6 finely minced garlic cloves
• 2 pounds cleaned debearded mussels
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
• coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• sliced toasted bread

Instructions

• Remove the beards from the mussels.
• Add them to a bowl, submerge them in cold water, and vigorously scrub them, using your hands. Let them sit in the water for 5 to 10 minutes to remove any sediment, sand, etc.
• In the meantime, prepare the shallot, garlic, and herbs.
• Drain the mussels and give them one final brief rinse under cold water.
• Add oil to a large sauce pot or rondeau over medium heat.
• Stir in the shallots, gently season with salt to draw out any moisture, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or just until lightly browned.
• Mix in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, which only takes 30 to 45 seconds.
• Pour in the drained mussels and sauté for 2 minutes to start incorporating the ingredients.
• Deglaze with white wine.
• Pour in the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.
• Mix the ingredients together, add on a lid, and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mussels pop open.
• Finish by stirring in the butter, thyme, and parsley.
• Adjust the seasonings, sprinkle with optional minced parsley, and serve them with toasty bread.

Notes

Make-Ahead: These mussels are meant to be eaten right away.

How to Store: This will hold well in the refrigerator, covered up for up to 3 days. If you want to make this ahead of time, cook and cool the broth, and then reheat and add in the mussels. It will also freeze well covered for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add your desired portion to a small saucepot and heat over low heat until hot. 

When storing fresh mussels, place them in a colander over a bowl and cover them with ice. Mussels like very cold atmospheres but also need to breathe. Do not submerge them in cold water, and store them.

If you do not drink wine, skip it and use stock or water.

A rule of thumb for wine is if you wouldn’t drink it, then don’t cook with it.

For maximum flavor, you start with dry herbs and finish with fresh herbs.

I brushed the bread with garlic confit oil and cooked them under the broiler on high in the upper third of the oven for 2 minutes per side. I then spread a few garlic confit cloves onto the bread before serving.

There is enough braising liquid for 2 pounds of mussels.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 16gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 424mgPotassium: 534mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 666IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 5mg

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Author: Chef Billy Parisi