Mussels are the kind of dish that seems so much more complicated than they actually are – which makes them perfect for a romantic dinner where you’re cooking to impress but might be a little stressed for time.
In this dish, you’ll be preparing a batch of steamed mussels, flavored with just the right amount of garlic and other seasonings to bring out the best in this recipe.
If you’ve never cooked fresh mussels before, don’t be intimidated! The key is to use the freshest, highest-quality ingredients you can find. Once you’ve accomplished that, the rest of the dish comes together incredibly easily.
When shopping for mussels, only look at the fresh options available. You’ll want mussels that are tightly closed at the mouth. Try not to skimp with your white wine either – for this dish, it’s better to go with a wine you’d drink on its own versus a cooking wine.
Before cooking, take the time to really scrub your mussels well – anything left on the shell with be steamed off into your dish (including any not-so-great things from where they were harvested). Lots of water and a potato scrubber are perfect for getting this done correctly.
Steamed mussels on their own are delicious, but they don’t make a complete meal by any measure. Since they are fairly simple to cook, try pairing these with a more complex side dish like the zucchini gremolata and ending your meal with the decadent chocolate strawberry hearts. Any dinner guest is bound to be impressed by this combination!
Sailor-Style Mussels Recipe
Serves: 4 Prep: 15 min Cook: 20 min
Ingredients
- 2 lb. mussels, scrubbed
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 ½ cups fish stock
- 1 tsp. red chili flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup ghee
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Melt the ghee over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and shallot; cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the celery, bell pepper, and onion; cook until soft (5 to 6 minutes).
- Pour in the white wine and simmer until dissolved by half.
- Pour in the fish stock, bay leaves, and chili flakes; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Whisk everything and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Add the mussels; cover and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until mussels have opened.
- Serve the mussels topped with the fresh parsley.
📖 Recipe
Sailor-Style Mussels Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb. mussels scrubbed
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 small shallot minced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 ½ cups fish stock
- 1 tsp. red chili flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup ghee
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley minced
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the ghee over medium heat.¼ cup ghee
- Add the garlic and shallot; cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.4 garlic cloves, 1 small shallot
- Add the celery, bell pepper, and onion; cook until soft (5 to 6 minutes).2 celery stalks, 1 bell pepper, 1 red onion
- Pour in the white wine and simmer until dissolved by half.½ cup white wine
- Pour in the fish stock, bay leaves, and chili flakes; season with salt and pepper to taste.1 ½ cups fish stock, 1 tsp. red chili flakes, 2 bay leaves, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Whisk everything and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Add the mussels; cover and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until mussels have opened.2 lb. mussels
- Serve the mussels topped with the fresh parsley.2 tbsp. fresh parsley
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