Everything is better when cooked in garlic, and mussels in a white wine and garlic sauce are to die for! This is probably one of my favorite recipes I have created yet! The sauce is perfect to dip some toasted bread in. Top it off with delicious mussels and it is probably one of the best appetizers out there!
I have never cooked mussels before, is it hard?
I will admit that I was looking at this dish as somewhat of a challenge prior to making it because of the mussels, but let me tell you that it is super easy to make! Mussels take about 5-10 minutes to fully open and cook and all you have to do is place a lid on the pot and shake it every once in a while. I promise it is not hard so don’t be afraid to make it yourself!
How do you clean mussels?
The best way to clean your mussels is to soak them in a bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes, so they can expel whatever sand they have in them. I typically place the bowl of water with the mussels inside in the fridge for that time. You can also leave the mussels in the bowl if you buy them the day before you make this recipe.
Once they have been sitting in the bowl for 30 minutes, you then have to cut the beard off them. I know right, super weird that they have a beard! But it really kind of looks like one. On the outside, the mussels have hair like fibers that sprout on the outside. You can either carefully and gently rip it off or cut them with a knife. After, place the mussels into a clean bowl of water until you are ready to cook them.
How do you make mussels in white wine and garlic sauce?
- Clean your mussels: Soak your mussels in a bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes. After, remove the beards from the mussels by carefully and gently removing it with your finger or cutting them with a sharp knife.
- Make your sauce: In a pot with a lid, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add your diced shallots and cook for about 5 minutes. Add your diced garlic and then cook for another 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Add your wine, vinegar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and bring the sauce to a boil.
- Cook the mussels: Once the sauce is boiling, reduce the heat to bring it to a simmer and add your mussels. Cover the pot with a lid and allow the mussels to cook for about 8-10 minutes, until they are all opened up. Shake the pot occasionally to move the mussels around.
- Add the butter: Once the mussels are done cooking, remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon. Add to the sauce one stick of unsalted butter and parsley. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until the butter is fully melted and the sauce has slightly thickened. After, pour the sauce on top of the mussels and serve!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of mussels cleaned
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 whole shallots diced
- 8 cloves of garlic diced
- 2 cups of white wine
- 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp of salt
- ½ tsp of black pepper
- ¼ tsp of red pepper flakes
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp of chopped fresh parsley and a little extra for garnishing
- Toasted baguette for serving
Instructions
- Soak your mussels in a bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes. After, remove the beards from the mussels by carefully and gently removing it with your finger or cutting them with a sharp knife.
- In a pot with a lid, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add your diced shallots and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add your diced garlic and then cook for another 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add your wine, vinegar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and bring the sauce to a boil.
- Once the sauce is boiling, reduce the heat to bring it to a simmer and add your mussels. Cover the pot with a lid and allow the mussels to cook for about 8-10 minutes, until they are all opened up. Shake the pot occasionally to move the mussels around.
- Once the mussels are done cooking, remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon.
- Add to the sauce, one stick of unsalted butter and your freshly chopped parsley. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until the butter is fully melted and the sauce has slightly thickened. After, pour the sauce on top of the mussels.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with a toasted baguette.
