I absolutely ADORE mussels. And I love cooking them every which way.
On this page, you'll find a few of my favorite recipes!
Enjoy!
Jean-Luc’s Moules à
la Marinière
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 6 to10
minutes
Serves 4*
Great for: A lunch, a
family dinner, or a casual dinner party
Wine suggestion: A
Muscadet
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 to 4 shallots, peeled and sliced 3 to 4 cloves garlic,
peeled, de-germed, and sliced*
3 cups white wine (Any white or rosé will do)**
3 healthy pinches herbes de Provence
1 healthy pinch fleur de sel (or three pinches salt)
4 pounds mussels, cleaned and de-bearded ***
¼ cup chopped parsley (flat variety preferred), plus extra
for garnish
In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic, and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Pour in two cups of the wine, adding in the fleur de sel and herbes de Provence. Bring the liquid to a low boil. Add the mussels and the parsley to the pot, along with the remaining wine. Stir with a slotted spoon, and cover. Turn the mussels every few minutes, covering the pot in between turns. Once the mussels have opened (discard any that haven’t), they are ready to serve with french fries. Garnish with parsley. For a change, try this recipe with one of the following sauces.
* A few delicious
additions to the shallots and garlic are thin slices of fresh ginger, fennel,
or a combo of both. Rounds of Jalapeño peppers make for a spicy garnish.
** Instead of white
wine, try experimenting with beer or cider!
*** When cooking
mussels, the general rule is one pound per person. Also, be sure to discard any
mussels with broken shells.
Moules Curry Sauce
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 6 to10
minutes
Serves 4
Great for: A lunch, a
family dinner, or a casual dinner party
Wine suggestion: A
Pinot Gris
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
3-4 tablespoons curry powder
1 lime, juiced and zest removed, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 lemon grass stalk, sliced into two inch long pieces
(optional)
1/8 cup chopped parsley (flat variety preferred), for
garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Prepare mussels following the same method as in Moules à la Marinière. In a medium sized pot, combine the coconut milk, curry, lime juice, lime zest, grated ginger, and lemon grass slices. Stir until well combined. Cook over medium heat for about 5 to 6 minutes until sauce is warm.
Once the mussels have opened, add two ladles of the wine
broth they’ve been cooking in (about 3/4 of a cup) to the curry sauce. Heat
sauce for another minute. Season with salt and pepper, remove the lemon grass,
and discard. Using a slotted spoon, place mussels in four bowls, discarding any
that haven’t opened. Ladle sauce over the mussels. Garnish with parsley. Serve
with french fries or a baguette and a crisp green salad.
Note: I prepare this
sauce separately in case somebody–such as the kids– doesn’t like curry.
Moules Roquefort
Sauce
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 6 to10
minutes
Serves 4
Great for: A lunch, a
family dinner, or a casual dinner party
Wine suggestion: A
Corbières
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup crumbled Roquefort or bleu cheese, plus extra for
garnish
1/8 cup chopped parsley (flat variety preferred) for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Prepare mussels following the same method as in Moules à la
Marinière. In a medium sized pot, combine the cream with the cheese. Cook over
medium heat for about 5 to 6 minutes until sauce is warm, stirring
occasionally. Once the mussels have opened, add two ladles of the wine broth
they’ve been cooking in (about 3/4 of a cup) to the cream sauce. Heat sauce for
another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon,
place mussels in four bowls, discarding any mussels that haven’t opened. Ladel
the sauce over the mussels and garnish with parsley and a few morsels of
Roquefort cheese. Serve with french fries or a baguette and a crisp
green salad.
Note: I prepare this sauce separately in case somebody–such as the
kids– doesn’t like Roquefort cheese.
Ghislaine’s Moules à
la Plancha
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 to 15
minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Great for: an
appetizer or light summer meal
Wine suggestion: A
Faugères
Extra virgin olive oil
4 pounds mussels, washed and debearded*
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
3 to 4 shallots, peeled and sliced in thin rounds
3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled, de-germed, and sliced
½ cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
3 healthy pinches herbes de Provence
¼ cup parsley (flat variety preferred), chopped
Lightly oil the plancha (a griddle or the flat portion of a
grill) and set heat to medium-high.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients, including the all the mussels,
together. Once the grilling surface is hot, place the mussel mixture on it.
Cook until the mussels open—about 4 to 6 minutes—stirring occasionally with a
long grill spatula. Depending on the size of the surface, the mixture may have
to be cooked in batches. When the mussels open, serve while hot. Discard any
unopened mussels. Garnish with parsley. Serve with sautéed roasted rosemary
potatoes and a crisp green salad.
*Discard any mussels with broken shells. This recipe is
excellent for squid, clams, or shrimp—or a mixture of all these seafood
delights, including the mussels! If adding other fruits of the sea, cut the
quantity of mussels in half.
Note: I added slices of chorizo to the above recipe. And it was a delicious add-in!
Note: I added slices of chorizo to the above recipe. And it was a delicious add-in!
Bon app! And bisous!
