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 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
3lbsof mussels
4tablespoons2 oz butter
6garlic clovesminced or finely sliced
2small shallotsfinely chopped
6sprigs of parsley
6sprigs of fresh thyme
2bay leaves
1cup250ml of white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3tablespoonsof 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.