Best Mussels Au Vin Recipes

MOULES MARINIèRES (FRENCH MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE SAUCE)

Steps:

• Clean and prep mussels: Put the mussels in a bowl of salted water (1 tablespoon salt per quart of water) for 10-15 minutes. Throw out any that are wide open or refuse to close when you handle them as these ones are likely dead. Looking over the closed mussels, see if any still have their beards (long hairy byssal threads which help anchor the mussel to surfaces) and pull them out, pulling slowly and strongly towards the hinge of the shell.
• Sauté shallots and garlic: Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the shallots and cook a couple minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. If you want your sauce to be a little thick, add a teaspoon or two of flour to the pan, stir to combine. (Otherwise skip the flour.)

MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE

Steps:

• To clean the mussels, put them in a large bowl with 2 quarts of water and the flour and soak for 30 minutes, or until the mussels disgorge any sand. Drain the mussels, then remove the "beard" from each with your fingers. If they're dirty, scrub the mussels with a brush under running water. Discard any mussels whose shells aren't tightly shut.
• In a large non-aluminum stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the tomatoes, saffron, parsley, thyme, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
• Add the mussels, stir well, then cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until all the mussels are opened (discard any that do not open). With the lid on, shake the pot once or twice to be sure the mussels don't burn on the bottom. Pour the mussels and the sauce into a large bowl and serve hot.

OVEN-STEAMED MUSSELS WITH GARLIC AND WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Set an oven rack in the lowest position and preheat the oven to 500°F.
• Set a large roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Do not brown. Add the wine, thyme, and bay leaves and boil until slightly reduced, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the salt and mussels. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil (remember the edges of the pan will be hot) and transfer to the oven. Roast until the majority of the mussels have opened, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven, and place a dishtowel over the handle to remind yourself that it's hot. Discard any unopened mussels. Using a wooden spoon, push the mussels to the edges of the pan. Add the butter to the center and stir until melted. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves and stir in the parsley. Spoon the mussels and wine broth into bowls and serve with bread.
• Note: When a recipe calls for dry white wine, the best options are Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or unoaked Chardonnay. Select a bottle that is inexpensive but still good enough to drink.
• Note: Most markets sell farm-raised mussels, which are easy to clean - in fact, they are usually already scrubbed and debearded. However, it's still a good idea to clean them prior to cooking. Simply put them in a colander and run them under cold running water, using your hands or a scrubbing brush to remove any sand or debris. If beards (the little tuft of fibers the mussel uses to connect to rocks or pilings) are present, cut or scrape them off with a paring knife, or use your fingers to pull them sharply down toward the hinged point of the shells. The mussels should be tightly closed. If you see a mussel that is open, tap it gently against the counter; in a live mussel, this will trigger a reaction to close its shell. If the mussel doesn't slowly close, it has died and should be discarded. Discard any mussels with cracked shells as well.

MUSSELS PROVENCAL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and mushrooms, and add the mussels. Season with basil, oregano, and tarragon. Cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir in olives and fresh tomatoes. Cover, and simmer 5 minutes.
• Serve mussels and sauce over pasta.

MUSSELS AU VIN

Steps:

• Scrub mussels under running water and remove any beards.
• Discard mussels which remain open during handling.
• In a large saucepan combine olive oil, red pepper, garlic, shallots and pancetta.
• Cook over low heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
• Increase heat to high and add wine and mussels.
• Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon remove mussels as they open and place on a warm serving dish; discard any mussels that remain closed.
• Immediately add cream and parsley to the broth and simmer to reduce slightly.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour hot broth over mussels in serving dish.
• Dress with chopped parsley.
• Serve immediately with crusty bread.
• Source: International Olive Oil Council.

MUSSELS IN RED WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Scrub and remove beards from mussels.
• Set Aside.
• In a large sauce pan combine the wine and butter.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium.
• Add the chives, red pepper flakes and garlic.
• Stirring often reduce volume by half.
• Return heat to high and add the tomatoes with juice, citrus juice and mussels.
• Stir once to coat and cover with a tight fitting lid.
• Boil for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and discard any mussels that have not opened.
• Ladle mussels into serving bowls and pour remaining sauce on top.
• Offer pepper at table.

MUSSELS, WHITE WINE & PARSLEY

Steps:

• Tip the mussels into the sink or a large bowl of cold water. Swish them around with your hands to wash them thoroughly. Use a small sharp knife to scrape off any barnacles attached to the shells. Discard any mussels with broken shells.
• Pull off the beards using the knife to help you - they just need a good tug. The beard is the brown wispy bit hanging out of the join in the shells. Not all mussels will have beards.
• If any mussels are open, tap them sharply against the side of the sink, worktop or with a knife. If they don't close, discard them - they are dead and not edible.
• Rinse the mussels again in fresh cold water to remove any bits of shell or barnacle, and drain in a colander. Tip the mussels into a large pan, then add the wine and chopped shallot. The pan should not be more than half full - the mussels need plenty of space to move around so that they cook thoroughly.
• Set the pan over a high heat and cover tightly with a lid. When the pan starts to steam, cook the mussels for 3-4 mins, shaking the pan from time to time to ensure they cook evenly. They are cooked when the shells have opened. Mussels that have not opened are fine to eat if they can be easily opened.
• Remove the pan from the heat to stop the mussels cooking any further. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, then spoon them into warmed bowls and pour over the pan juices.

MUSSELS AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Scrape mussels under cold running water and remove beards. Discard any mussels that do not close when tapped.
• Combine mussels, onion, wine, and pepper in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, shaking pot frequently, until mussels open, about 5 minutes.
• Combine bread crumbs, parsley, and garlic in a small dish. Whisk oil and lemon juice together in a second small bowl.
• Snap each mussel into 2 parts and place the shell with the meat in an oven-proof dish. Make sure no liquid remains on the shell; discard the empty shells. Spoon parsley mixture over the mussels and drizzle with the oil mixture.
• Bake mussels in the preheated oven until topping is crunchy, about 10 minutes.