Mussels in white wine sauce

Simple recipe for preparing mussels in white wine sauce, also known as mussels marinière. The mussels are steamed in a broth with butter, white wine, garlic, shallots, parsley, thyme.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine European, French, International

Keyword Garlic, Mussels, Mussels in white wine sauce, Mussels marinière, Shallot, Thyme, White wine

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings

Ingredients

3 lbs of mussels
4 tablespoons 2 oz butter
6 garlic cloves minced or finely sliced
2 small shallots finely chopped
6 sprigs of parsley
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup 250ml of white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3 tablespoons of chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

To serve:

Garlic bread or your choice of bread/baguette

Instructions

Rinse the mussels thoroughly and remove the beards.
In a large saucepan or pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic, cook until the shallots are transparent and soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the mussels and stir well. Next add the herbs and the white wine. Bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pan and steam mussels over high temperature for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mussels start to open – exact time will vary depending on the size of mussels and each stove.
Once the mussel shells open up, turn off the heat, add the lemon juice, salt/pepper, and additional chopped parsley. Gently stir the mussels from bottom to top so that the sauce and parsley can uniformly spread into all the mussels. If desired you can remove the herbs sprigs and bay leaves.
Remove the mussels that are still closed. Some mussels partially open, which is fine. You will just need to work harder to open & enjoy these ones. Serve the mussels in large soup plates or bowls. Enjoy the mussels with slices of baguette, plain or toasted/grilled with garlic.
This dish can be accompanied with white wine, based on your preference. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Viognier types are good ideas. A salad may also be part of the meal.