Best Mussels With Shallots And Thyme Recipes

MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• 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.

CLASSIC FRENCH MUSSELS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels, wine, cream, butter, and parsley and season well with salt. Give it a good stir, cover the pot, and cook until mussels open and are cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Divide the mussels and the juices between 2 bowls and serve with the crusty bread.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH LEEKS, GARLIC, THYME, WHITE WINE, AND BUTTER

Steps:

• Rinse the mussels under cold running water while scrubbing with a vegetable brush. Remove the stringy mussel beards with your thumb and index finger as you wash them. Discard any mussels with broken shells.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic, and thyme and cook until the vegetables cook down to a pulp, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels and give everything a good toss. Add the white wine. Cover and steam over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until the mussels open. Stir occasionally so that all the mussels are in contact with the heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and a drizzle of olive oil to the sauce remaining in the pot and swirl to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

MUSSELS WITH BACON, SHALLOTS, AND APPLE

Steps:

• Cook bacon over a medium high heat in a wide saucepan until rendered and crisp. Drain off some of the fat. Add shallots and apple. Cook until slightly caramelized. Add mussels and stir to coat. Deglaze with white wine, apple cider, and vinegar. Reduce slightly. Add cream, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook until all the mussels are open and the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened. Serve in the pan or transfer to a large, wide bowl. Serve with toasted country bread.

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.

MUSSELS WITH THYME AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add shallots and saute' until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add bay leaves, thyme, vermouth, clam juice and cream.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.
• Add mussels, cover and simmer, discarding any mussels that do not open.
• Using tongs, evenly divide up the mussels between bowls.
• Season broth with salt and pepper and ladle over mussels.

MUSSELS WITH CREAM, FENNEL, AND WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped fennel, shallots, garlic and fennel seeds. Sauté until fennel is tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cream and boil until liquid thickens, about 10 minutes. Add mussels. Cover and cook until mussels open, about 5 minutes. Divide mussels among 6 shallow bowls (discard any mussels that do not open). Ladle broth over and serve.

ALE-STEAMED MUSSELS WITH GARLIC AND MUSTARD

Steps:

• Rinse mussels under cold running water. If you see hairy clumps around the shell (called beards), use a sharp knife or your fingers to pull them off, then scrub shells well with a vegetable brush.
• In a soup pot with a tight-fitting cover, heat olive oil, then add thyme, garlic, shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until shallots and garlic are softened, 3 minutes. Pour in ale and bring to a simmer. Add mussels and cover pot. Let mussels steam, stirring once or twice, until they open, 5 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mussels to bowls. Discard any that have not opened.
• Add butter, herbs and mustard to pan juices and bring to a boil. Whisk until butter melts, then taste and correct seasonings (add more butter if liquid tastes bitter). Pour over mussels and serve with bread for sopping up juices.

MUSSELS STEAMED WITH CIDER & BACON

Steps:

• PREPARATION: Raw mussels MUST be alive when you cook them, so careful preparation is key. Wash them under cold running water until it runs clear, and scrub if necessary. Pull the 'beard' away from each individual mussel - this is the byssus thread, a protein the mussel 'spins' so it can attach itself to rock or rope. Drain and then check; if the shell is tightly shut, this is a good indication that it's alive. If the mussel is open, tap it sharply for a few seconds - if it is alive, it will close. Discard any that appear to be dead as they can decompose very rapidly, and eating one that you aren't sure of is not worth the risk. Don't check them too far in advance; cook within a few minutes to be on the safe side.
• Heat the butter in a pan large enough to easily fit the mussels, then fry the bacon for 4 mins, turning occasionally until it starts becoming crisp. Throw in the shallots and thyme leaves, then cook for 1 min until softened. Whack the heat up to maximum and add the mussels to the pan, then pour over the cider. Place the lid on the pan, give it a good shake, then cook the mussels for 5-7 mins, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that haven't.
• Use a slotted spoon to scoop the mussels into bowls and place the pan back on the heat. Bring the juices to the boil and stir in the crème fraîche, if using. Pour the sauce over the mussels. Serve with hunks of crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.
• COOKING TIPS: Mussels are most often steamed open over a small amount of flavoured liquid, as in Moules marinière, although they can also be oven roasted and are particularly good cooked 'en papillote' (in a bag). Wine, stock, beer and cider are all great for cooking mussels, but take care not to add salt to the liquid as mussel juice can be very salty. Drop the mussels into the liquid, cover with a tight-fitting lid, then cook until they have opened and the meat has settled into one side of the shell; this usually takes 3-4 minutes. Avoid overcooking as the meat shrivels and becomes tough. Check them all again before serving and discard any that haven't opened. If a mussel is unopened at this stage, this indicates that it was already dead. You will probably notice the colour of the meat varies between beige and orange. This is an indication of sex - beige for male and orange for female; there is no difference in flavour. Once cooked, mussels are usually lifted into a bowl and the cooking liquor is reduced by simmering. Pull the meat from one shell and then use that shell as a pincer to remove meat from the rest. Serve simply with crusty bread - lovely!

MUSSELS WITH SHALLOTS AND THYME

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sautéuntil softened, about 10 minutes. Add thyme, bay leaves, wine, clam juice and cream; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until mixture is reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Add mussels, cover and simmer until mussels open, about 7 minutes; discard any mussels that do not open. Using tongs, divide mussels among bowls. Season broth with salt and pepper. Ladle broth over mussels.