Mussels With White Wine Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best white wine for cooking mussels? ›

Use a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or unoaked chardonnay. In addition to the white wine, we add a splash of broth. I use chicken broth, but vegetable or seafood stock works, too. Shallot and garlic: We want lots of cooked shallot and garlic.

Mussels are deliciously briney and best steamed in a small amount of liquid. The steaming liquid and the juices they let off as they cook make the perfect delicious broth or serving sauce to go with them. Boiling washes away the flavor and makes it very easy to overcook them.

If you want to be extra thorough, you can soak the mussels in cold salted water for about 20 minutes to help remove any sand or grit. Just be sure to rinse them again before cooking. That's it! Follow these simple steps, and you'll never have to worry about getting sick from mussels again.

Knowing the proper proportions of mussels to the number of guests you have will ensure a successful event. We suggest 1 to 1¼ pounds per person for a main course or ½ pound per person for an appetizer.

Set the pan over a high heat and cover tightly the lid. When the pan starts to steam, cook the mussels for 3-4 mins, shaking the pan from time to time. They are cooked when the shells have opened.

The key is to cook them until they just open, usually 8-10 minutes. Overcooked mussels get chewy, so be sure to get them out of the pot when they open. If a couple of the mussels don't open after almost all are cooked, don't wait—discard them.

Pick up each mussel and check that it's firmly closed. Discard any mussels that are open – that's very important. Scrub each mussel clean with a stiff brush to get rid of any barnacles, pulling off the hairy 'beard' that sticks out from the shell, if it has one.

Apparently, the flour is supposed to help flush the sand out. It supposedly works by having the mussels take in the flour so it spits out the sand.

Pairing your mussels with wine

Mussels topped and baked with garlic and breadcrumbs suit a crisp dry white like a Pinot Grigio or other Italian white, but an unoaked Chardonnay or fruity Sauvignon Blanc such as Sauvignon de Touraine will match well, too.

If eating mussels with broth, you can spoon the broth into your mouth or use a piece of bread to soak some of it up for a delicious bite. Take care to dip one piece of bread a time (you can even spear it with your fork) to avoid double dipping.

How do you know mussels is fully cooked? ›

Cook mussels until steaming hot. Don't eat shellfish raw or lightly cooked as this won't get rid of bacteria such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus. One good way to know mussels are fully cooked is that their shells pop open when boiled or steamed, and the mussel inside is firm to the touch.

It's easy to tell when the mussels are cooked: when the mussels are finished cooking, their shells open up. So, keep an eye on the mussels, remove them from heat when their shells open up, and use the following as a guide for cooking times: 1-lb to 2-lbs: Steam 4-5 minutes. 2-lbs to 5-lbs: Steam 5-6 minutes.

Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, and dry sparkling wines labeled "brut" are especially good choices. Fuller whites with strong, oaky flavors, like some Chardonnays, don't work as well for cooking because they are lower in acidity and don't provide as much punch as the crisper wines.

To cook seafood, choose a crisp, dry white wine like a Pinot Grigio, Muscadet, or Sauvignon Blanc. Pinot Grigio is the most versatile of these. Expect Sauvignon Blanc to be more acidic and add a lemony flavor to your dish.

Our Signature Chardonnay pairs perfectly with this elegant seafood dish that has just a hint of heat to enhance its fresh Mediterranean flavors. 1 Be sure to rinse and clean your mussels but do not soak them.