Steamed Mussels in White Wine (Moules Marinière)
Classic steamed mussels in white wine with butter, garlic, lemon, and parsley. Belgian moules marinière made simple with 5 ingredients in 20 minutes. Elegant enough for guests, easy enough for weeknights.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds about 1 kilo fresh mussels, cleaned and debearded
- 1 cup dry white wine adjust up for more sauce for sopping
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Juice from ½ lemon
- Large handful flat-leaf (Italian parsley) about ¼ cup chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
To serve:
- Crusty bread for sopping the broth · lemon wedges, · frites, or a leafy green salad
Instructions
Cleaning the Mussels:
- Clean the mussels thoroughly because you don't want grit or mud in the sauce (see the notes below).
- Discard any with broken or open shells that don't close. To check the open ones tap firmly on the counter or edge of the bowl - if it closes, it's good.
- Finally, grab the edge of the beard and pull off. I like to pull from bottom to top in a quick sharp pull.
To Cook:
- In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, don't let it brown.
- Pour in the white wine and bring to a rolling simmer. Let it bubble for about 30 seconds to burn off the alcohol flavor.
- Add the mussels all at once, cover with the lid, and steam over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes. About halfway through, give a quick stir. When most of the shells are open or just slightly cracked, remove from the heat. If you cook until all the shells are wide open, you've overcooked the mussels.
- Remove the lid to stop cooking. Squeeze in the lemon juice and scatter the parsley over the top. Stir and taste the broth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Serve immediately in warm shallow bowls with plenty of the broth spooned over. Discard any mussels that stayed stubbornly shut.
Notes
For best results, buy your mussels the day you plan to cook them.
NEVER store your mussels in the fridge — you'll suffocate them.
To hold them until ready for cooking: mix cold water with sea salt (not kosher or table salt) until it tastes like the ocean. Add the mussels, toss in a bunch of ice cubes, and cover with a damp towel. Keep in a cool spot.
Do NOT use fresh water at any point in the storage process. It will kill them.
To clean: use a butter knife and a kitchen scratchy pad to scrape off the mud, algae, and seaweed.
Rinse under cold running water several times to make sure you've got all the grit.
Pull off any visible beards (the wiry bits sticking out of the shell).
Want more sauce for bread? Bump the wine to 1½ cups.
Make what you can eat today. Mussels are not good as leftovers.
Nutrition (per serving as main course, based on 2 servings, approximate):
Calories: 435
Total Fat: 22g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Carbohydrates: 15g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 42g
Sodium: 890mg Calculated using USDA FoodData Central. Values approximate.
Calories: 435
Total Fat: 22g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Carbohydrates: 15g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 42g
Sodium: 890mg Calculated using USDA FoodData Central. Values approximate.
