Recipe: Steamed Mussels in White Wine
by SoPo Seafood's Jacqueline Clark AKA the Briny Babe
Mussels are a delicious, easy-to-prepare shellfish that pairs well with a wide variety of ingredients, from tomato-based sauces to thai curry broths. Mastering the classic steamed mussels in white wine (or “French Preparation” as it is called in the culinary world) takes minimal ingredients and time, and gives you an outstanding dish that will have you spooning sauce remnants from the bowl long after the mussels have been eaten.
We proudly source Bangs Island Mussels, which have been sustainably hand-raised in the cool, clean waters of Casco Bay since 1999. With features from Martha Stewart, Alton Brown, and The New York Times, you can’t go wrong with this premium seafood product. These mussels have a fantastic meat-to-shell ratio, and are expertly harvested, cleaned, and distributed by the Bangs Island Team to ensure that only the most pristine mussels are sold to market.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Steamed Mussels in White Wine Recipe Video
A Few Rules on Buying Mussels
• Mussels should smell like the sea – if they have an odd smell, or have sat in your fridge for too long, don’t use them.
• Mussel shells should be tightly closed or open slightly. If a shell is wide open, give it a firm tap on the counter. If it closes or holds it shape, it means the mussel is alive and safe to eat. If the mussel is wide open it has died and you should not cook with it.
• Do not use mussels whose shells are cracked.
• If you are more than a short walk from the grocery store, ask the fish monger to give you a bag of ice to help keep the mussels cool on your journey home. When you receive Mussels from SoPo they will arrive cold.
Storing Mussels
• Mussels are best eaten on the day they are purchased, but can be stored for a couple of days in the fridge.
• As soon as you get home, put the mussels in a colander and set the colander in a large bowl. This will prevent the mussels from suffocating in the liquid they release. Cover the bowl with a cloth, and put in your fridge.
• Mussels need to breathe, so don’t cover them in plastic.
Cleaning Mussels
• Not only are Bangs Island Mussels local and sustainably raised, but the team takes care of de-bearding the mussels for you.
• If you buy from another purveyor or farm who does not de-beard the mussels prior to sale, you will need to do so yourself. Do not do this in advance of cooking, or you will kill them!
• If you need to clean – rinse the shell under cool running water, and scrub it gently to remove any debris.
• If there is something that looks like some hair in the mussel, this is the beard. It is a bit of the rope that they were grown on, and should be removed prior to cooking. To remove the beard (or de-beard the mussel), grab the beard and pull it towards the tail (narrow end) of the mussel. Most of the time, it will come off with a firm tug. If not, you can cut it with a pair of scissors as close to the shell as possible.
Ingredients
Ingredients
• 3 TBSP unsalted butter
• 2 small shallots, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• Pinch of salt, to taste
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 lbs mussels
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
Cooking Utensils
• Cast Iron Skillet or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
1. In a skillet or Dutch Oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, and pinch of salt. Sauté until the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the white wine. Bring the mixture to a boil.
3. Add in the mussels, cover with lid, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for five minutes. As the mussels are cooking, shake the pan once or twice with the lid on to evenly distribute liquid over the mussels.
4. Open the lid and check on the mussels. Ensure the shells have opened. Discard any mussels with shells that remain tightly closed. There should be few, if any, of them. If too many of the mussels are still closed, cook an extra 1-2 minutes.
5. Once cooked, squeeze fresh lemon juice, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve directly from the pot, or, if using pasta, serve over linguine with leftover mussel sauce!
