Moules Marinières – Mussels in Garlic & White Wine
Last week I shared with you my Recipe for Gratinated Razor Clams with Chorizo & Parmesan which was the starter dish for my anniversary meal with Dan. We followed it up with these delicious Moules Marinières as the main course. A complete seafood feast! We’ve just discovered a wonderful new seafood supplier near us and wanted to make the most of the incredible fresh produce that they had. Plus there’s always something that feels just a bit extravagant about a huge bowl of shellfish. The perfect food for a special occasion!
To start with you have to prepare the mussels (if your fish monger hasn’t already done this for you). Start by rinsing the mussels well, under cold water, and discard any that remain open when lightly squeezed. Next you have to clean the mussels by removing their beards! This means pulling out the tough fibrous part that usually protrudes from each mussel shell. Some of these need quite a tug to come away from the mussel inside. Rinse well again and set the mussels while you prepare the sauce.
Prepare the sauce by melting the butter on a medium heat. Make sure the pan is large enough to be able to hold all the mussels and it should preferably have a lid. Then, peel and finely dice the onion and crush or thinly slice the garlic cloves. Soften the onion and garlic in the butter over a medium heat until they turn translucent. Once they are softened you can add the dry, white wine and bay leaves. Then, turn the heat up so that the sauce is bubbling.
Once the sauce is bubbling you can add the mussels to the pan. Cover the pan with the lid and allow the mussels to steam inside for about 3-4 minutes until the shells open. It helps if you shake the pan occasionally to ensure they are well coated with the sauce.
Once the mussels are done, you need to discard any that did not open during the cooking process. Remove the bay leaves and spoon the mussels into 2 bowls with plenty of the sauce. Chop the parsley and sprinkle over the top to serve.
And there you have it! An easy and elegant seafood feast that looks impressive as a dinner party recipe but can also be a quick and easy weeknight meal! This recipe serves four as a starter or two as a main course. You can serve some of my delicious Grain-Free Bread alongside the Moules Marinières to soak up all the lovely sauce! Oh and don’t forget to pair it with a delicious bottle of white wine too. We opened a lovely chilled, oaky Chardonnay for the occasion! Magnifique!
Moules Marinières - Mussels in Garlic & White Wine
Ingredients
- 1 kg fresh mussels
- 1 onion
- 25 g butter
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 cloves garlic
- 150 ml dry white wine
- 1 sml bunch flat leaf parsley
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Prepare the Mussels
- Rinse the mussels well in cold water and discard any that remain open when lightly squeezed.
- Clean the mussels by removing their beards! This means pulling out the tough fibrous part that usually protrudes from each mussel shell.
- Rinse well again and set aside while you prepare the sauce.
For the sauce
- Heat the butter in a medium hot pan until it melts. The pan needs to be large enough to hold all the mussels and should preferably have a lid.
- Peel and finely dice the onion and crush or thinly slice the garlic cloves.
- Soften the onion and garlic in the butter over a medium heat until they turn translucent.
- Add the white wine and bay leaves and turn the heat up so that the sauce is bubbling.
- Add the mussels to the pan and cover for 3-4 minutes to allow them to steam. Shake the pan occasionally to ensure they are well coated with the sauce.
- Discard any of the mussels that did not open during the cooking process.
- Remove the bay leaves and spoon the mussels into 2 bowls with plenty of the sauce. Chop the parsley and sprinkle over the top to serve.
Dietary & Allergy Information for Moules Marinières
These Moules Marinières are Grain-Free, Gluten-Free & Refined-Sugar Free. Also suitable for Paleo, Low Carb, Pescatarian & SCD diets.
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Awesome recipe! Thanks for sharin it!
This looks such an exceptional recipe. Will definitely try it at home!