Have you ever wondered how to cook mussels? Spoiler alert: it's super easy! We'll show you how to choose, store, clean, and cook mussels. Plus, we share our favorite garlic white wine mussels recipe. Are you ready to learn how to prepare mussels? Let's do this!
Ingredients
2tablespoonsbutter, olive oil for dairy-free
1smallshallot, thinly sliced
3clovesgarlic, thinly sliced
2bay leaves
½ teaspoonblack pepper
1cupdry white wine
4lbmussels, cleaned
Optional: ¼ cup heavy cream, see notes
Juice from ½ lemon
2tablespoonsfinely minced parsley
Instructions
Prepare the Mussels
Working with one mussel at a time, first check to make sure that it is tightly closed. If it's open, tap it on your counter. If it doesn't close, it means the mussel has died and must be discarded. Next, rinse the shell under cool running water and scrub it gently to remove debris. Make sure to keep the bowl of mussels on the counter as you don't want it to fill with water.
If there is something that looks like some hair (see the picture in the post) in the mussel, this is the beard. It's a bit of the rope that they were grown on and should be removed before cooking. To remove the beard, or de-beard the mussels, grab the beard and pull it towards the tail (narrow) end of the mussel. Most of the time it will come out with a firm tug. If not, you can cut it with a pair of scissors as close to the shell as possible.
Once the mussels are clean, put them into a bowl and set them aside on your counter while you prepare the white wine sauce.
Mussels in White Wine
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and let them cook for 3 minutes. Add the bay leaves, pepper, and wine to the pot and bring the wine to a boil.
2 tablespoons butter, 1 small shallot, 3 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 cup dry white wine
Add the mussels and cover the pot. After three minutes, take the lid off and gently stir the mussels. Try to push any shells that are unopened to the bottom of the pot so they are closer to the heat. After 5 minutes remove the mussels from the heat. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
4 lb mussels
Pour the cream (if using) and the lemon juice into the sauce and gently mix. Sprinkle the parsley over the top and serve right away.
Optional: ¼ cup heavy cream, Juice from ½ lemon, 2 tablespoons finely minced parsley
Notes
To make this dairy-free you can use cashew cream instead of whipping cream. To make it, combine ⅓ cup of raw cashews with 1 cup of water, and blend on high until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve before using.