Mediterranean Style Mussels In Wine Sauce
This Mediterranean style mussels recipe is the easiest and super delicious! With just a few simple ingredients you get maximum flavors. Wine, garlic, and parsley make the most delicious sauce.
I’ve been scared of cooking mussels for a very very long time. In fact, I’ve just recently discovered how easy they are to make.
So how did I even get started?
We took our son out to eat some seafood and we ordered mussels after years of not eating them. He loved them so so much and we did as well. After that, I felt inspired and wanted to try them out. There’s one recipe that excites me the most and it’s this recipe. I’ve tested a few over a few months and wrote my own, like I make it.
The recipe is really a very popular way of cooking mussels in this part of the Mediterranean, where I’m from. This is just a variation and there’s also one with tomatoes, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried that one. Note to myself: make the tomato version!
Okay, so this Mediterranean style mussels recipe is literally the simplest dish you’ll ever make. And also one of the most delicious ones. Just imagine the flavors of the sea mixing with some good wine, garlic, and parsley. Doesn’t it already sound so delicious?
It only takes you a few minutes to prep and a few minutes to cook. The only thing that requires a bit more work is cleaning them, but it’s actually really easy.
So how do you clean the mussels?
First, make sure you buy fresh mussels. They should smell like the sea. I tried googling how long the mussels really last but the answers are so different. Since I don’t live next to the sea, I can’t get them straight from the water. This would be amazing and if you have that chance, I recommend buying them the same day they were harvested.
For the unfortunate ones: I tend to buy them if they are a day old and no more. Then I prepare them the same day or in the worst-case scenario the next day.
When it comes to cleaning the mussels, first you need to throw away dead or damaged mussels. Toss the mussels with a broken shell. If the shell is open tap it lightly against the counter and if the mussel starts to close after a few seconds, then it’s alive and you can keep it, if not, toss it. If the mussel is closed and the shell is not damaged it’s good to go.
After you’ve tossed away the bad ones, pour some water in a bowl and add a bit of salt. Place mussels in the salted water and wait for 30 minutes so they can release all the dirt which has accumulated inside the shells.
And that’s it. It’s very easy and so worth the extra few minutes of cleaning them.
Mediterranean Style Mussels In Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 kg fresh mussels
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 5-6 garlic cloves finelly chopped
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup white wine
- 3 TBSP breadcrumbs
Instructions
Cleaning the mussels
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Before cleaning the mussels be sure to only keep the ones that are alive. If the mussel is closed and the shell is intact, keep it. If the shell is open tap the mussel lightly against the counter and wait a few seconds. If it starts closing, this means the mussel is alive. If nothing happens toss it.
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Scrub the mussels to remove any debris or mud. Remove the "beard" of a mussel, which is the thick cluster of hair on one side of the mussel.
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Place mussels in cold lightly salted water for thirty minutes. In this time they will release the grit and dirt from inside the shell.
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After thirty minutes remove the mussels from the water and give them a quick rinse.
Cooking the mussels
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In a large pot, fry chopped garlic in olive oil for about a minute stirring constantly.
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Add wine, chopped parsley and breadcrumbs to the pot and wait until it boils. Add cleaned mussels. Cover and lower the heat. Let steam for 10 minutes. Only eat the mussels that have opened. Toss the closed ones.
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Serve warm with some bread or pasta.