Mussels in Wine and Garlic Sauce
Quick Recipes Simple Recipes Valentine's Day Fish and Seafood
My favorite way to cook mussels. I've tried them with other sauces, but none seemed as fitting. I recommend them for an extravagant meal with your loved one.
When buying mussels, first check them visually (all shells should be closed), then by smell (they should smell like sea water, not dead fish). And always ask for a bag from the back, don't take the ones displayed on ice.
Ingredients
1.5 kg mussels
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 generous tablespoon butter
6 cloves garlic
100 ml dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, Chardonnay)
1/2 small bunch parsley
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt, pepper
Servings: 2-3
How to prepare mussels in wine and garlic sauce
- Clean the mussels: Put them in a bowl of cold water. Have another bowl of cold water ready. Take each mussel and remove the "beards" by pulling them toward the opposite end from the hinge. Scrub the shell 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 possible). 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. - In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter. Add 4 crushed garlic cloves and sauté briefly, just until they become fragrant. Add the wine and bring to a boil.
- Add the mussels to the skillet and mix well. Cover with a lid and leave for 5 minutes. Check if all mussels have opened; if not, stir them, cover again, and leave for a maximum of 5 more minutes.
- Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon onto a large platter.
- Boil the remaining sauce in the pan over high heat for 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the remaining crushed garlic, finely chopped parsley, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the sauce over the mussels.
- Serve with fresh bread and lemon wedges, alongside a glass of white wine (the same one you used for cooking). If you don't want to eat a lot of bread for dipping in the sauce, you can use a shell as a spoon to drink the sauce. Or serve over pasta. Don't eat mussels that haven't opened.
Steaming mussels
