Marinated Mussels

How to prepare marinated mussels

1. Clean the mussels: Put them in a bowl of cold water. Have another bowl of cold water ready nearby. Take each mussel and remove the "beards" by pulling them toward the opposite end from the hinge. Clean the shell by scrubbing vigorously with a steel wool sponge under running water. Remove limestone deposits with a knife blade (some will come off, others won't - clean as much as you can). Place the cleaned mussel in the bowl with clean water. Note: if a mussel is open, discard it.
   When all mussels are cleaned, rinse them in several changes of water. Drain well just before cooking.
2. Put the wine in a large skillet. Bring to a boil. Add the mussels to the wine and cover with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes (stir halfway through). When the mussels are open, remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Let them cool, then remove the meat (only from the opened ones; discard any that didn't open during cooking).
   * I got 250 g of mussel meat
3. In the skillet where you cooked the mussels, there's leftover broth. Boil it for 10 minutes until it reduces significantly.
4. In a small pan, combine the oil, bay leaves, and sliced garlic. Heat gently over low heat, so the oil just barely bubbles. Cook like this for 10 minutes (the garlic shouldn't brown) to infuse the oil with flavor.
5. Remove the pan from heat, add the rosemary leaves, thyme, paprika (I use mostly sweet paprika with a bit of hot), and 10 tablespoons of the mussel broth (from step 3). Mix well.
   * The remaining mussel broth can be frozen to use in fish soups, fish sauces, paella, etc.
7. Pour in the vinegar and stir again (the sauce will thicken slightly). Taste the sauce and add more vinegar to taste (I added the juice of 1/2 lime instead because I don't like too much vinegar). Let the marinade cool.
8. Pour the marinade over the mussels. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
9. Serve with rustic bread (or toasted bread), alongside roasted peppers, olives, and a fresh salad.

Print