Here’s one of the most simple and romantic recipes you can add to your cooking arsenal - a classic French mussels in white wine sauce. Also known as Moules Marinière, this timeless French bistro dish can be found on menus throughout Paris and London, as well as most seafood restaurants here in California.
1.5poundsfresh musselswe used Penn Cove, Washington mussels
2tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
2heaping tablespoons of my garlic-shallot pureeor 4 cloves garlic and one small shallot, minced
1cupChardonnayor other white wine
1/2cupheavy cream
4tablespoonsKerrygold Irish butterwe used salted
1/4cupof chopped Italian parsley
Kosher salt to taste
Accompany with: Fresh baguettetoasted with butter - or crisp cooked French Fries (for dipping!)
Instructions
Prepare mussels by rinsing in cold water, removing dirt and debris. Remove “beard” by pulling toward the hinge of the shell. Check for cracked or dead mussels and discard. You can tell if a mussel is dead by tapping on its shell. If it closes, it is good and still alive. If it does not close, discard. Fresh mussels should smell like the ocean and be moist, black and shiny.
Once mussels have been cleaned, prepare a large stock pot or dutch oven. Heat olive oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and shallots. Stir for a minute.
Add mussels and stir to coat the mussels with the oil and garlic shallot puree. Add butter, and lightly stir until melted. Add wine and stir lightly. Add the heavy cream, parsley and salt to taste- about two good size pinches. Stir to mix all ingredients.
Cover and reduce heat; simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring half way through. Serve mussels immediately with a crusty toasted baguette or crispy French Fries (for a Moules Frites recipe). Add more fresh chopped parsley as garnish on both the mussels and the garlic toast/French fries.