This delicious recipe for mussels in white wine sauce is not only easy to make, but it’s also perfect for a romantic dinner for two! Whenever I cook a recipe like this, I always feel like I’m in the posh restaurant. Pair it with good quality wine, add freshly baked bread and you have a meal to remember.
What kind of mussels are best to use?
If using fresh mussels
Buy your mussels as early in the day as you can and only purchase them from a reputable fishmonger. Before you can cook them, you’ll need to prepare them and clean them.
First of all place your mussels in a bowl and pour over salted water solution made from 2 teaspoons of salt and 500ml of water. Leave the mussels in this solution for 10 minutes. They should close fairly instantly, if they don’t check them and if they don’t close when you touch them, they are probably dead and you should not use them in your recipe.
Next, clean the mussels by rinsing them and checking for any stones or small particles. Also pull out any mussel’s beards and clean the shells.
If using frozen mussels (my preferred option)
As you can see there is quite a lot of preparation with using fresh mussels, so I prefer to use frozen mussels from a reputable online fishmonger. Not only is using frozen mussels is very convenient, but it’s also great value. Since all the mussels have been prepared for me and frozen on the day when they were caught, I don’t have to worry about cleaning them or separating the not so fresh mussels from the rest.
How to store frozen seafood
If you are buying mussels fresh, you need to know that they are in season for about 6 months (from October to March). If you are buying frozen mussels you don’t need to worry about the seasonality of your seafood.
Mussels are caught, cleaned and de-bearded and frozen on the same day to lock in all the freshness and nutrition.
When you buy frozen seafood online, make sure that you are in for your delivery and put your order straight into your freezer. I prefer to lay the bags flat to prevent the seafood from weighing down on itself. And also if I buy more than one bag, I spread the bags between different compartments to make sure they get to -18C quickly.
If you have large order, it’s always good idea to switch down your freezer for few hours to ensure that your frozen order gets to the -18C as quickly as possible.
Modern freezers also have a rapid freeze compartment (it’s usually the lowest tray), which is perfect for new deliveries.
You can store frozen seafood for up to 3-6 months.
Why make this recipe
- Quick and easy to make
- Midweek dinner that feels like a dining in a posh restaurant
- Healthy main course
Top tips on making this recipe
- Use the best mussels you can afford (good quality mussels will have better flavour)
- If using fresh mussels make sure that you clean them first
- Cook the mussels in the wine you are going to serve with the meal.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of cream, if you fancy having your wine sauce creamy
- Use chives or parsley to garnish the finished meal
- If you don’t want to use wine in your recipe, use fish stock
- Serve with freshly baked artisan bread or rolls – toasted white sourdough bread taste delicious with mussels
- I prefer to use the wine that I’ll drink with my meal. I know that some people prefer to use cheaper wine for cooking, but I think with this recipe, the mussels and the wine is the main flavour, so you don’t want to skimp on the quality.
Hope you enjoy making this recipe
Magdalena
Mussels in White Wine
Quick and easy mussels recipe made with delicious white wine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 500 grams frozen mussels
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 onion
- 200 ml white wine
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of white pepper
In a large frying pan or a pot melt the butter over medium heat.
Chop the onion and garlic to small pieces and add them into the butter. Cook until they change colour and go slightly see – through.
Add the mussels, white wine, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes (covered with a lid)
The mussels should be cooked through within 10 minutes, but it depends on the size, so double check by testing one.
Serve in a bowl with the reduced white wine sauce, artisan bread rolls and a glass of white wine.