How To Cook Mussels In Wine

How To Cook Mussels Without Wine

Do you have to use wine to cook mussels?

• Though many recipes call for cooking mussels in wine, you dont need alcohol to make them delicious, Chowhounds say in a recent Home Cooking discussion. Instead of wine, you can use chicken or fish stock, bottled clam juice, or water with a squeeze of lemon juice as your steaming liquid.

Choosing And Buying Mussels

You can buy mussels already cooked and vacuum-packed in a sauce, or cooked and frozen. What were talking about here are fresh mussels.

Mussels must be alive to ensure their freshness and their shells should be closed to make sure they are alive. If any are open, they should close when tapped or squeezed. When looking at a big batch in the fishmongers, avoid buying them if lots are open.

Other indications of freshness:

• They should smell pleasantly of the sea, avoid any that smell fishy.
• If there is a choice, always choose smaller mussels over larger ones, as smaller ones are sweeter and more succulent.
• If you’re adding mussels to a dish with other seafood or with pasta, then a large handful or two per person will be enough. If mussels are the main part of the recipe as in a bowl of steamed mussels then youll need about 500g per person.

Our Favorite Way To Cook Mussels

It is so easy to make steamed mussels at home. Shallots, garlic, and white wine make the perfect broth. As the mussels steam, the broth gets trapped inside the shells. Its divine, plus the leftover broth is fantastic for soaking up with a good loaf of bread.

More of our favorite seafood recipes: We make this baked salmon with lemon and dill all the time and love this garlicky shrimp scampi!

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How To Choose Mussels

Mussels are alive when you buy them, so look for them in low tanks in the fish department. Often you can pick out the mussels you want. If they’re only sold in bags in your grocery store, you may want to open the bag first to make sure the mussels are alive and in good shape.

Occasionally they will be sold on ice. Make sure that they are not submerged in water as they need to breathe.

A few rules for buying mussels

• Mussels should smell briny, like the sea. If they smell bad, don’t buy them.
• The shells should be tightly closed. If a shell is open, give it a firm tap on the counter. If it closes, it means it’s still alive and safe to eat. If it doesn’t close, don’t buy it.
• Don’t by mussels if their shells are cracked.
• If you’re more than a short walk from your grocery store, ask the fishmonger to give you a bag of ice to help keep the mussels cold on your drive home.

How To Baker Mussels

This compound Im administration today is a actual archetypal way to baker mussels aflame in a garlic adulate white wine broth. Its actual quick and easy, and absolutely makes the best of mussels:

Can you eat mussels that havent opened?

Yes you can! Its an old wives account that mussels that dont accessible are off. The alone acumen to not eat mussels that dont accessible are if they are too adamantine to pry open!!

How to acquaint if mussels are fresh?

Easy the smell. Back raw, mussels aroma fresh, like the ocean. Off mussels aroma actual unpleasant. Aloof assurance me back I say you will KNOW if they are off!

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How Long Do You Cook Mussels For

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.

What You Charge For Aflame Mussels

Fundamentally, the alone capacity you charge to accomplish absolutely appetizing mussels is garlic, white wine and adulate or olive oil. Aggregate abroad you see beneath are account that add an added aspect of flavour, but they arent mandatory.

White wine absolutely is the additive that makes all the aberration here. Wine adds complication and flavour to the booze of an contrarily actual simple recipe. Non alcoholic sub low sodium chicken broth/stock.

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How To Cook Mussels In White Wine Sauce

Storing And Preparing Mussels

Ideally, you want to prepare and cook the mussels as soon after buying as possible, but as long as they’re fresh they will keep overnight and for up to a day. Store them in a dry bowl or container covered with a damp tea towel. Never cover with a lid or clingfilm as they will suffocate.

To prepare the mussels for cooking:

• Rinse them under cold running water, tossing them over with your hands to give any that may have opened a chance to close.
• Scrub away any barnicles if you want, but this isn’t essential.
• One-by-one, pinch and tug away the stringy thread from the side of the shell known as the beard. Not all muscles have beards so if you cant find one, dont worry.
• If the mussels are open, give them a squeeze and discard any that remain open or any with a broken shell.

Its best to store, then prepare the mussels before cooking, rather then prepare and store ready for cooking.

Watch our video on preparing and cooking mussels:

How to steam mussels

• small glass of white wine
• 1 large shallot or small onion, finely chopped
• small bunch of parsley, chopped

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How To Cook Mussels

Mussels cook very quickly, so this is the easy part.

Start by choosing a large pot with a tight fitting lid. Mussels will take up about 1/3 more space in the pot once they’re opened. I have a 3.5 L braiser that I LOVE for cooking mussels. It’s a pretty pot so I can serve the mussels in it. It’s the pot you see in the pictures.

Prepare the broth that you plan on using. You can use this mussels in white wine recipe or my Thai coconut mussels recipe. Or make your own flavorful broth. Just make sure there is no more than about a 1 inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot. You want the mussels to steam, not boil.

Then bring the liquid to a rapid boil, add the mussels all at once, and put the lid on the pot. Now, set a timer for 3 minutes. When the timer goes off, gently stir the mussels and push any that have not opened to the bottom of the pot. Being closer to the heat helps them to open.

Let the mussels cook for 2 minutes more then remove the pot from the heat and discard any shells that have not opened.

That’s it! You’ve just learned how to cook mussels!

The Best Allotment Is The Sauce

It ability be absolutely inappropriate to say this, but for me, the best allotment of every mollusk compound Ive every approved or ordered is the SAUCE.

As the mussels cook, they bead an amazing bulk of aqueous which is about absolute seafood stock. The BEST banal one could anytime ask for!

So back the mollusk juices mingles with aggregate abroad in the pot, you end up with the most outrageously appetizing sauce to douse aliment into!! Nagi x

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Can You Eat Unopened Mussels

The advice in the past has always been to throw away any mussels that havent opened after cooking because they are bad. This isnt true and any mussel that can be easily opened is fine to eat. If the mussel is very tightly closed then it will probably still be a little raw and unpleasant to eat all this opening is hard work so if youve got plenty to eat and one or two are still closed, theres nothing wrong with discarding and moving on to the next.

Mussels In A White Wine And Cream Sauce

Mussels have been a constant in our lives. The ones we are used to getting in Maketu are usually about the size of your forearm, but we used regular-sized green-lipped mussels for this particular recipe. Mussels are such a wallet-friendly meat to buy and they are big on flavour. This is a classic way to cook mussels – white wine, a bit of cream and the juices from the shellfish make a delicious sauce. Big bits of crusty bread to mop up the juices are a must.

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How Do You Clean Mussels Before Cooking Them

Place the mussels in a colander in the sink and run water over them, using your hands or a clean scrubbing brush to rub off any debris like seaweed, sand, barnacles, or mud spots that could be on the shell. If you find any mussels with open shells, lightly tap that mussel against the side of the sink.

The Best Part Is The Sauce

It might be totally inappropriate to say this, but for me, the best part of every mussel recipe Ive every tried or ordered is the SAUCE.

As the mussels cook, they drop an astonishing amount of liquid which is essentially real seafood stock. The BEST stock one could ever ask for!

So when the mussel juices mingles with everything else in the pot, you end up with the most outrageously tasty sauce to dunk bread into!! Nagi x

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What Youll Need To Make Oven

When you purchase mussels, theyre still alive. After bringing them home from the store, they will stay fresh in the refrigerator for several days. Because theyre alive, avoid storing them in an airtight container. Instead, place them in a bowl covered with a wet paper towel.

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.

Great Steamed Mussels Without The Wine

Though many recipes call for cooking mussels in wine, you dont need alcohol to make them delicious, Chowhounds say in a recent Home Cooking discussion. Instead of wine, you can use chicken or fish stock, bottled clam juice, or water with a squeeze of lemon juice as your steaming liquid. And sautéed onions and mushrooms contribute plenty of moisture as well as flavor, HillJ says.

You can even simply put mussels in a hot, dry skillet and cover them, EricMM says theyll steam in their own juices and gain lots of flavor. Several Chowhounds are also partial to Southeast Asian recipes that call for coconut milk and aromatic spices, such as these Thai Red Curry Mussels.

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Steamed Mussels With White Wine Sauce

RECIPE OVERVIEW

This is a great family favourite. Turn off the mobiles and let the kids do the talking at dinner.

Preparation time:

Add all ingredients Select All

• 100mlCreme Fraiche
• 2tbspSuperValu Fresh Parsleychopped

• Shopping list status

Method

Mussels In White Wine Sauce

• Difficulty: Basic

• A recipe from the French cuisine, also allowed in a gluten free / nut free diet

When cooking mussels you dont have to worry too much. We give you this simple recipe, which is ready in just 20 minutes, and is equally simple and delicious. Its got white wine sauce, a touch of chili flakes, and garlic. Simple flavors that go together very well in an elegant dish!

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How To Clean Mussels

Right before you cook the mussels, you need to clean them. Don’t do this in advance or you’ll kill them.

Working with one mussel at a time, rinse the shell under cool running water and scrub it gently to remove and debris. Make sure to keep the bowl of mussels on the counter as you don’t want it to fill with water.

If there is something that looks like some hair in the mussel, this is the beard. It’s a bit of the rope that they were grown on and should be removed before cooking.

To remove the beard, or de-beard the mussels, grab the beard and pull it towards the tail end of the mussel. Most of the time it will come out with a firm tug. If not, you can cut it with a pair of scissors as close to the shell as possible.

How To Cook Mussels Like A Professional

Once you learn these simple steps to cooking mussels with white wine, you’ll add it to your dinner rotation.

Mussels are a delicious seafood option when you want a quick-cooking feast for your family, but they can look intimidating to tackle with their hard outer shells. Once you learn how to cook mussels the correct way, plus how to buy and clean these bivalves, you’ll be adding this tasty, brothy dinner to your rotation. Looking for a super-fast weeknight dinner or an easy appetizer for your family? Search no further: This one pot meal, full of garlicky broth, is ready in 20 minutes. Here, the easiest steps to get dinner on the table fast:

How do I choose mussels?

Mussels are alive and should be when you cook them. Once they die, they turn bad very quickly. So look for mussels that are sold on ice. They should have shiny shells and appear wet. They should smell briny like the ocean. Figure on about half pound of mussels per person for a dinner portion. If you plan on using them as a starter you can figure on about quarter pound per person.

What’s the best way to clean mussels?

So now you’ve bought them, you’re probably wondering, how do I clean mussels before cooking? It’s super simple. Place the mussels in a colander. Under cold running water, scrub off any sand, barnacles, mud, or seaweed. Discard any mussels with cracked shells.

How should I store fresh mussels?

Do I need to soak mussels?

How long does it take to cook mussels?

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A Few Notes For Perfect Mussels

• Always buy your mussels fresh frozen mussels have a mealy texture. Make sure the mussel shells are firmly closed. If they are open a little give them a firm tap against the side of the sink or the counter. If they close you can eat them. If not discard them.
• Make sure you inspect each mussel before you buy it. Don’t buy any that has a cracked shell.
• If you live more than a few minutes away from your fishmonger ask them for a bag of ice to put next to your mussels in your shopping bag. This will help keep them fresh if you must drive a little ways before you get home.
• You’ll want to give the mussels a scrub under cold running water. Grab their beards and give it a tug to remove it. Put all the clean mussels in a bowl and put them back in the fridge while you prepare the sauce.
• Remember that mussels are very salty so you won’t need to add any extra sea salt.
• Mussels have a lot of liquid inside of them so even if it does not seem like there is much broth to begin with, once they cook and open up they will release their liquid into the pot and there will be lots of broth

Mussels In Creamy White Wine Sauce

Bring a taste of France to your dinner table with mussels in a white wine sauce. This mussel recipe is the ultimate indulgence you can whip up in no time at all with our cooked mussels. Simply reheat them in the sauce and you are good to go.

Serve with a slice of crusty bread or fettuccine to mop up every last bit of the delicious sauce off your plate.

Ingredients

• 1 small finely chopped brown onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 6 8 thyme stalks
• 200ml Boston Bay Wines Reisling
• 1 kg fresh mussels

1 Heat oil in a large pot.

2 Add butter in pot.

3 Add onion then sauté for 3 mins or until lightly browned.

4 Add garlic and thyme and then sauté for 1 min.

5 Add white wine and 1kg of drained fresh mussels.

6 Place lid on pot and cook for approximately 5 mins.

7 Sit in cream and re-heat.

8 Add the cooked mussels and parsley then place lid on pot.

9 Garnish with parsley, add some pepper and serve with your favourite crusty bread!

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