When it comes to finding a recipe for the holidays or for a special occasion, you can’t get much more special than a recipe for mussels in white wine sauce. In fact, I think Kevin and I ate a recipe very similar to this the night we were engaged.
Of course, you really don’t need a special occasion to eat this recipe for mussels in white wine sauce. In fact, you shouldn’t wait to make them because they’re so incredibly delicious that you would be doing your tastebuds a disservice.
This dish is delectable and elegant, but it takes just less than 30 minutes to make, which is another reason that I love it so much. I know that making seafood can sometimes be intimidating – especially when it comes with a shell. But it doesn’t have to be. Follow my recipe for mussels in white wine sauce and you’ll be eating a restaurant-quality meal right in the comfort of your own home.
How to buy mussels
You can purchase mussels in a few ways, but most people will recommend you buy mussels fresh from a local fish shop. They are sold in bags and you should purchase them the same day you intend to use them, and will have a tag with the date to indicate freshness. They will be alive when you purchase them this way. Place them in a bowl with a wet paper towel when you get home.
You can also buy mussels that have been pre-cooked and flash frozen. We have a hard time finding good seafood here and it’s really hit or miss. We’ve purchased these mussels {HERE} before and they were delicious. If you have problems finding seafood, I recommend this.
How to clean mussels
Before cooking live mussels, place them in a bowl of fresh water. This will encourage them to “spit” out the sand that might be in their shell. You only need a few minutes for this. I would say no more than 10.
Scrub away any barnacles (no soap) on the shell and then pull the beard out.
Brush the mussels with a bristle brush even if you don’t see any sand or a beard.
Discard any mussels with a cracked shell or mussels that are open, even if they’re just cracked open.
How to serve mussels in white wine sauce
When making this recipe for mussels in white wine sauce, you definitely want to eat it with either crust bread or linguini.
I love it both ways, honestly. If you are serving this as an appetizer then lean towards the crusty bread. If you’re serving this as a meal, do both. Why not, right?
Either way, I like to serve them in the pan they were cooked in (as an appetizer) or in a shallow bowl with the pasta. This sauce is so saucy that if you serve them on a plate you will regret any bit of the sauce you didn’t get to eat.
These do not re-heat so anything leftover will really be wasted. However, we always eat them all – whether being served as an appetizer or being served with linguini.
Tips for cooking mussels in white wine sauce
- Use fresh or flash frozen mussels. Ideally you want to use the freshest fish you can find for this recipe for mussels in white wine sauce. However, I realize that may be a challenge depending on where you live.
- Discard any mussels that are cracked or open or slightly open before cooking. Discard any mussels that failed to open after cooking.
- Make these right before serving. I know that if you’re cooking for a group that can sometimes be a pain. However, this is really one meal that’s best served fresh and hot straight from the stove.
- Need another appetizer? Find some ideas {HERE}. Or want to make your own bread to go with this? See our No-knead bread {HERE}.
Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! I hope you love this delicious recipe for mussels in white wine sauce! You can find the full, printable recipe below. Please let me know if you have any questions. You can direct message me on Instagram @rachelquenzer or @sugarmaplefarmhouse if you need something answered within a day.
Recipe for Mussels in White Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb. of fresh mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 Tbsp. Butter, unsalted
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup parsley, divided
- 2 Tbsp, fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- With heat on medium, add olive oil to a sauté pan and heat.
- Add shallot, garlic and sauté until they are soft. About 3 minutes.
- Turn heat to low and add butter to the pan and melt.
- Then add herbs (half the parsley) and red pepper flakes and simmer for 2 minutes
- Add in the white wine and simmer until it is reduced by about two thirds.
- Then add in the heavy cream and lemon juice and whisk well.
- Add the mussels and cover the skillet. Steam mussels 8 – 10 minutes.If you’re using pre-cooked that have been flash frozen then you just need to really reheat them. This should take about 8 minutes.
- Top with lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste and the rest of the parsley.
My dad used to actually fish them (not sure if that’s the right verb) so they were incredibly fresh but we used to cook them just like this. So yummy
This is a dish that I need to try. I have only tried mussels on time but I liked them.
My husband would be a huge fan of this. He’s big on mussels. I wish I could get a taste for them!
I’ve had this in a restaurant but never made it for myself. It is great to know how it’s made so I can do it myself.
I’ve actually never had mussels before. These look so elegant and beautiful!
I haven’t cooked mussels before, but I’m glad I checked this out because I didn’t know about discarding any cracked ones as well. Good to keep these tips handy for when I do.
A dish my husband would absolutely love. Thanks for sharing.
Although I haven’t had mussels before, this looks like a delicious and special meal! It doesn’t seem too complicated to prepare either (besides the debearding.) I just pinned the No-Knead bread recipe too, I can’t wait to make it.
Mussels and white wine are so good together. I will definitely make this easy but fancy recipe!
Oh my goodness, this is so delicious and really easy to make. I love it!
Oh, this is my first time cooking mussels. They’re not very common here but I will do my best to find them.
Wow this is a really delicious and yummy recipe I would really love to try this
Wow this looks absolutely delicious and easy to make I would love to try this one
This is such a really delicious and perfect looking recipe it is also healthy I’m sure my husband would love this so much
We have a lot of mussels here!!! Gotta try this soon!
I am not a seafood fan but my husband would LOVE this. perhaps his next birthday dinner…
Yumm this looks so good! mussels are my fav. I totally gotta try this recipe
I have never cooked with mussels before, and this looks like a great way to prepare them. We have friends who love seafood and this would be nice to cook when we are entertaining.
This does look insanely delicious! I have not even made mussels at home, but now I want to try
I have seen many people order them at restaurants but have never tried them myself. Your recipe looks so delicious, maybe I’ll give them a try.
Yum!!! I want to make these! I love them but have never tried cooking them.
The entire ambiance of a meal is in the sauce! This recipe looks so festive, so deliciously prepared.
This recipe looks really savory, looking forward to making this for my family.
Oh wow! really love of kinds of seafoods. They are all tasty. I would definitely make this on Christmas eve.
We are seafood lovers over here and this dish is making me so hungry. Yum!
Mussels in white wine sauce looks delicious. I would love to try it.
How yummy! Thanks for sharing such a mouth-watering recipe 😍 I can’t wait to make this dish for my family!
I am so glad that you shared this! My husband is Italian and he loves good pasta dishes and this is on he will love I have pinned to make this week!
This looks and sounds like a great recipe. I would like to try it for my family.