This is a simple recipe. Most of the work is preparing the mussels; cooking takes very little time. When you have finished eating the mussels, dip bread in the buttery wine sauce.
This is a very traditional French recipe and it has never failed me! I use shallots instead of onions and I sometimes add heavy cream after removing the mussels from the pot for a creamier version of the broth. Yum! Valerie
Read MoreThis is a very traditional French recipe and it has never failed me! I use shallots instead of onions and I sometimes add heavy cream after removing the mussels from the pot for a creamier version of the broth. Yum! Valerie
My boyfriend raved about these when I made them for a Valentines Day appetizer. He still asks for them every now and then out of the blue for a no-reason romantic dinner. I agree with adding a shot of heavy cream to make the sauce just thick enough to coat the mussels. I serve them as a first course appetizer in a shallow platter. I garnish the appetizer plates with plenty of lemon wedges for each of us and provide bowls for the discarded shells. Be sure to have a second set of fresh napkins ready when serving the second course because this appetizer will require full use of your first set.
It was my first time making mussels - this dish couldn't have been easier to make. Absolutely delicious... Will definitely make again!
Awesome!!! The sauce was fantastic, restaurant-quality. Thanks Christine! My husband stated that he liked these better than the ones served at our favorite Italian restaurant. I left out the onion and the bay leaf, added extra garlic, used dried parsley in place of fresh. Also, I only had white zinfandel for the wine, so being that its pretty sweet, I only used 1 cup, otherwise I think it would have overpowered the sauce. I doubled the butter though, to compensate. Took others suggestions and added a shot of heavy cream at the end, which helped thicken the sauce a bit. Served with crusty bread and we mopped it up! Mmmm! Definitely cook the mussels in the sauce - like another reviewer said, if you don't, you will lose that mussel "liquor" which is released when they open, that really makes the sauce! No need to strain the sauce after, thats just extra work! Just take the mussels out, melt that extra butter, and pour the sauce over them! Yum!
This was very easy to fix. Next time I would add salt to the broth. My husband loved it. Thanks.
Quick and easy mussels in a rich and delicious sauce. I put some sundried tomato flavoured linguini in a bowl, put the mussels on top and covered in the sauce. It was great and was done (from start to finish) in 15-20 mins.
Awesome. Good wine is a must. Added the shot of cream and it worked well. Doubled the sauce recipe for dipping crusty bread.
This mussel recipe is really easy. The mussels turned out great - free of saltiness and grit. The sauce was great to dip bread in too. TIP: do not use a whole onion, this was waaaay too much. Also, add a bit of cream to the sauce for richness.
In most places you can find farm raised mussels and these cut down on the time it takes to make them. The recipe was easy and great. You can add about a shot of whipping cream (if you are making it for 2 people) to it and it makes the sauce creamier and better! I only used about 50 mussels(1 1/2lbs.) for two people and it was more than enough as an appetizer.
Excellent recipe! Make sure to use a good wine or you will spoil it.
Recipes was quite tasty, however to get that restaurant style taste, I almost tripled the garlic. The next tie I will add more of almost all the seasonings and the butter. Also, be sure to use a dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. I used a reisling because that's all I had and it was too sweet. The wine you use will make or break it. Otherwise, simple, fast and great.
Awesome!! I have used this numerous times for an appetizer. I've found that cheaper wine DOES make it taste worse. Don't skimp on the good wine...
I added a little more garlic and used cilantro instead of parsley. I caramelized the onion and garlic first, then added half the cilantro, saving the other half to garnish the final product. I skipped the last step of adding the extra butter for a more low-fat version. This was sooooooooo good! I served with both toasted and untoasted french baguette slices. The untoasted ones were better because they soaked up way more of the sauce. I think I will be making this again!
This recipe was really good. We used 2 pounds of farmed mussels, and just rinsed them and put them in cold water for 10 minutes to remove any debris. I omitted the bay leaf because I didn't have any. I used a Beringer Chardonnay ($10). I also added about 1/4 C half & half to the sauce at the end. Such an easy recipe, and I served it with Garlic Bread Fantastique from this site. Thank you!
I made the recipe exactly as written. I found it to be a very simple recipe that was very good – not spectacular – but very good.
EXCELLENT, i did add 1 cup chicken broth and some chopped celery and a squeeze of lemon juice so I did vary some and left out the bay leaf but they were sooo good!!!! thanx for a great recipe
This was excellent. I doubled the butter and the garlic and used shallots instead of onions. I also added a dash of crushed red pepper, This is a keeper. Thanks for a great recipe!
Awesome!! I had some dried cayanne peppers so I minced one and added that for a touch of spice - made a perfect recipe even better!! PS - Don't be fooled by the simplicity of this recipe. Sometimes simple is better and this is one of those cases for sure! Try this one before you try any others :)
This was fast, easy, and delicious! We just got back from Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia and I miss it already:) This was exactly like the mussels served in Neil's Harbour at the little chowder house overlooking the water. I will definitely make this again!
I made this as an appetizer. Also took everyones advice and added about 2 shots of heavy cream. This was delishhhhhh!!!!!!! I prepared everything except the mussels before hand and when I was ready to serve, I warmed up the sauce and then added the mussels. They only took a few minutes to pop open and I was sure to take them out as they opened so I didnt over cook. Thanks for the recipe! Awesome.
Reminded me of the mussels I had in Dingle, Ireland. Very good! I did leave out the green stuff because I didn't want to overpower the mussels but I might try them next time. We ate these with simple linguine with parm cheese on the side and then stuffed baby bellas with Maryland Crab cakes and baked. Crusty bread dipped in olive oil......perfect and fun meal!
Everything was great with this recipe. I kept the leftover sauce and plan on making a soup out of it.
I added a little salt, doubled the garlic, and served this over linguine with garlic bread. The sauce was so good that I thought about drinking what was leftover!
I'm giving this 5 stars based on that it was actually super easy to make (it was my first time making mussels!), and my husband liked it! I don't eat seafood, so I couldn't tell ya. But it sure smelled amazing! Based on other reviewers, I doubled the garlic, and did NOT add cream as I wanted to keep things a bit healthier. I also made sure to have bread for dipping in the sauce (and that's exactly what hubby did!) Very easy, little work, with glamourous results. I'd serve this at a dinner party and wow guests for sure. I served this as an appetizer for the Lemon Garlic Tilapia on this site, and a salad.
Tried this recipe this week, didnt quite have all the ingredients, but i still made it work, and it was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!
I'll give it four just because I think a five star is your own version of the recipe. I see many of you add cream to de recipe, and even though is a possibility, PLEASE DON'T. I love cream, don't get me wrong, I can send you my recent blood work and you'll see the addiction to butter and cream for yourself, the cholesterol says it all. INSTEAD, just add some toasted bread crumbs or mix some butter with flour. You can do have this butter/flour mix ready, just add it to the sauce, right at the end, and you'll see the results. Enjoy !!!
I love shellfish and this was simple (minus the time involved in processing the mussels) and flavorful, really allowing you to taste the mussels. The broth that resulted was excellent. They took longer to cook than expected, though, but perhaps that was more of a reflection on the mussels I used (?). Also wish there was a little more to the dish in general. Maybe I'll cook spinach or greens in with the mussels so that lovely liquid doesn't go to waste.
Christine...I dont like mussels buy my boyfriend does. I have tried some different recipes but this one was hes all time favorite. i didnt change one thing and he never stopped raving about it. I served them over a small dish of pasta. He said this is a keeper. Thank you for a great recipe.
This recipe was EXCELLENT! I have to say - I was a very big skeptic at first. I'm not one to cook with the spices "tyme" or "bayleaf" - and I truly wasn't sure just how this would come out being that I'm not big fans of those 2 spices - BUT A VERY BIG HIT! All the ingredients together made for a restaurant style dish. I was searching a long time for recipe like this......just make sure that you have a large loaf of crusty italian bread on hand when you make this........the dipping of the juice is the best part. This I will definitly make again, and again!!!! Thanks for such an awesome recipe!
This recipe was great. I loved it. I added some diced tomatoes from a can instead of the fresh romas (about one standard size can). It was fantastic. My husband is already asking for it again. Super yummy with crispy fresh french bread. Thanks for the recipe.
Just okay. Won't make again.
Very good recipe; not spectacular, but very good & comparable to restaurant quality. I used shallots instead of onion. As others commented, I guess the choice of wine makes a significant difference. I will experiment a little, but this helped me make a nice treat for my hubby (I don't eat mussels, but tasted the sauce).
This is Wonderful! An elegant dish that's quick and delicious. For a little extra oomph I add 1/3 cup of cream to the broth.
My husband tried it the first time and it was horrible. I tried the next day, with a better wine, and it was pretty good, but nothing I’d rate as absolutely delicious. I’ll try one more time with a different wine.
I made this on a Friday night for My hubby and I. With some pinot noir 2007 Domaine Serene and slices of toasted wheat bread from Hanareum bakery (Korean supermarket) and watched some comedy. It was a wonderful experience!!! I haven't had this much fun since who knows when..!!!
I hadn't had mussels for a while. They were on sale at my grocery store so I got some. I figured some white wine and what I had in my pantry would suffice. Perfect. I used dry herbs since I wasn't really planning on making this and it still turned out yummy.
I love these mussels. Sometimes for a change and an asian twist I omit the parsley, bay leaf and thyme and add lemmongrass, ginger, chilli and lime juice - gorgeous!!!
It's simple and really good. I don't have onion, but I add some Capers and it goes well with the mussels.
Very nice, I loved it. I did have to alter the timing though, instead of 2-3 minutes, I had to cook for 5-7 minutes to get the slimyness cooked. Either way, delicious. A must have!
Wow, this recipe is fantastic. Trader Joe's sells Green Mussels from New Zealand that are already cleaned then vacuumed packaged. All you have to do is cut open the package and place the mussels in a large saute pan with the broth. It's that simple - - no fuss, no muss. And don't forget about that broth...You must have crusty bread for dipping, it's that good.
C'est Magnifique! Truely a wonderful recipe for mussel lovers. Quick, easy and delicious.
I cheated and used precooked frozen Mussels. It cut down on prep time and being in the Texas Panhandle fresh mussels are hard to come by at a fair price. The mariniere was fabulous and so were the mussels!
This recipe is excellent. We have it frequently as a main course over fettucini, and it's one of our favorite meals. (If you use pasta, be sure to add a couple tablespoons of the sauce to it after draining, so the pasta doesn't stick together.) I no longer bother to strain the liquid; I just add all the ingredients at once, which makes this recipe even quicker. Chicken broth is a decent substitute for white wine if you don't have any. Even red wine will work, though it makes the mussels look and taste rather dusky. Christine, your recipe is one of my best finds in this website. Thanks.
I'm not one for mussels (husband is). Took a chance because I liked the ingredients, hoping I would enjoy mussels prepared this way. I didn't change a thing, and I did not add cream. I grilled crusty Italian bread and we totally mopped up the sauce. Thanks for sharing.
Very delicious and easy recipe. I omitted the bay leaf and onions since I didn't have any on hand. I also used the freshly packed and already cooked mussels from Trader Joe's (cheap, and saves a lot of time!) adding the mussels liquid to the white wine. Toast some sliced baguette to dip, and voila, great appetizer.
It was easy and delicious. I did add cream but made it without and it was just as good.
This is a good solid mussle recipe. Simple to make, basic ingredients that are easy to modify if wanted. We ate with an artichoke appetizer followed by the mussels. Be sure that you serve the mussels right away when they are ready to keep them hot. I prepped everything, and after finishing our appetizer actually turned the heat on the stove to cook the mussels. Made for a short break between courses, but worth the extra effort. A great opportunity to sip on some of the wine not used in the dish.
I made it for my husband and my in-laws last Friday and they love it. It's so easy to make. Only took me 20 min.
Yummy! I have never made mussels in my life. This is a good one!
I made this for my fiance(who had the pleasure of staying in Rome for a few months), and he absolutely loved it! It was delicious, I will definitely make this recipe again. This is a simply fabulous recipe, thank you!
Terrific! What a great classic taste and so simple (as muscles should be). We had some heavy cream on hand so we decided to add about 1/2 cup at the end for extra richness. YUM!
very good, this recipe is a french classic which we serve over fries, to sop up the juice bon appetit;)
I followed suggestions listed in other reviews and added a bit of heavy cream to the sauce at the last minute, but this recipe was a disappointment. We found that the flavor was too subtle and uninspired. Fresh mussels deserve a more robust treatment. I will stick with the standard zuppa de mussels served with crusty garlic bread in the future.
The mussels were delicious! I didn't have any fresh parsley, so I used 2 Tablespoons of dried and it still turned out great. Other than that, we didn't change a thing. Thanks for a great recipe!
So wonderful,my husband raved! I made it for Valentine's Day and even though I have never cooked mussels before it was so easy. I would add more garlic and will use shallots next time I cook them as well as add a bit of cream to the sauce. I served the mussesls over a bed of cappelini and some french bread for dipping and a bottle of wine and it was a perfect Valentine's dinner.
This recipe is great, I've made many times with both mussels and clams!! I love the spring/summer in New England!!!!!!!
My husband made this and it was wonderful! We saved the sause for a fish soup I was planning on making and served the mussels over spanish rice (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spanish-Rice-II/Detail.aspx).
Excellent recipe! The only thing I would recommend is reducing the bay leaf. I put one bay leaf only - two bay leaves would definitely overwhelm the other flavors in the dish.
First time making mussels and it was great! I didn't have a bay leaf so I left it out and I used Herbs de Provence in place of the thyme. I would add a little salt and pepper to the sauce next time. I used a good wine, but I can see how using a bad wine could ruin the whole dish.
i made this recepie today from fresh mussles and very good white wine, but it came out just ok, actually a bit dissapointing, it lucked flavor and salt, i had better! i won't make this recepie again
Fantastic Christine! A nice big salad, that loaf of crusty bread and you've got dinner! YUMMO!!!!
Delicious! Fresh parsley is a must! Used a good Pinot Grigio. Extremely quick and easy apart from cleaning the mussels!
This recipe seems to be the basic recipe when you go out to eat. This is the recipe that makes you want to try mussels at home. 100% success! This is an awesome jumping off point to customize your very own "family" recipe. Next time I try this I will change a few things...but only to suit it to my own twisted tastes.
I loved this recipe. Thankyou for sharing. Will make again.
Easy, and excellent. Restaurant-style taste; makes you want to drink the "soup." I did not add any of the herbs as I had none on hand, but still turned out great.
Easy, simple to make and you'll be a hit with friends and family when you set it out on the table. I made it according to the recipe and it turned out great. There's room to play with your choice of wine, quantity of butter etc but, trust me, it hard to screw this one up. Enjoy!
Very good! The only mussels recipe I use. The only thing I didn't have was the bay leaf! I think the thyme was the key ingredient!
Oh my. Perfect broth recipe for mussels. I replaced the wine with chicken broth and added a dash of EVOO to the butter as well as adding a pinch of sea salt when putting the mussels into the broth as well as just before serving. This is INCREDIBLE. Hubby loved it and he is the cook in the family. 5*s.
This is my favorite mussel recipe. Make sure to but fresh bread for dipping in the sauce.
Not bad. I made it over linguini, but it could really use some lemon juice to get rid of the fishiness.
I love this recipe. I do the Gordon Ramsey variation but this one also works great. The GR version adds a hot pepper ( I like jalapenos) and omits the bay leaf. I also like to do this recipe on the BBQ because I use charcoal. This adds a smokey, creamy flavor to the mussels that is amazing. I also use either a chardonnay (only use wine you would drink, never "cooking wine") or Kina Lillet. These add just the right hint of citrus needed. I also find that this works best when I use a caste iron skillet and foil to cover. This is especially true on the BBQ. Make sure to toaste a baguette. Delicious!
Delicious recipe, thanks for sharing. The only change I made was to add a little lemon juice to it. It was good as you posted it but I do like lemon. Excellent recipe.
My boyfriend said "the mussels's amazing" I can tell it will be better with little bit of heavy cream then you can dip some fresh bread or something.. thanks a lot for the good recipe!
The sauce was very good. I accidentally forgot to cover the mussels while cooking so them, which could be why some turned out a bit mushy and some were perfect. I think I'll have to find a better fish market or stick to eating them at restaurants!
I didnt like the mussels at all...but the sauce was good. They just tasted like the ocean... the flavor wasnt really there... I will not be doing this recipe again...very disappointed...i only gave it 2 stars bc my boyfriend like it....
My wife and I really enjoyed this recipe. The only major changes I made were to sauté the onions before adding the other ingredients and add finely diced Roma tomato just before adding the mussels to the broth. I like the addition of tomatoes to give it a little more color. I served them over angel hair pasta with the sauce.
Extremely good!!!! Will make again! I didn’t know I need to wash muscles before cooking and was glad to read about that in the comments. The washing water was very muddy.
I would second the idea of using shallots. It makes a big difference. The sort of French Cafe's I have been to they do not strain the juice, why bother? This dish in France is usually eaten cutlery free:- Choose a large shell to scoop out the other mussels and as a spoon. Have plenty of baguette to hand to mop up the juices. It really does seem to taste better this way.
I agree that the amount of garlic and spices should be doubled. And I added a bit of red pepper flakes for some kick. I also added about 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth. With those additions, I give this 5 stars. Very nice, simple preparation that's inexpensive, fast, and delicious. Served it over angel hair pasta with toasted garlic parmesan bread. Yummy!
hubby was not impressed and he loves this kind of stuff (even the from local buffets)
I enjoyed this very much..then I tried it again only I used 1/2 a can of domestic beer in place of the wine and some OLD BAY seasoning in place of the bay leaf and thyme. I thought it was a little better my way.
Delicious! I also added a little cream to it. This recipe is fast, easy...and very tasty!
I had a two pounds of mussels so I halved the ingredients. Personal preference but I really disliked bitting into what I think will be a succulent mussel only to bite down on a partially cooked onion. Great flavour though. Thanks for sharing.
fantastic! that sums up this recipe i made it for my boyfriend and it went down a storm. i did add some heavy cream and a little slaked cornflour i found this gave the sauce extra body.
I made this recipe as specified but without the bay leaf, only because I forgot it. They turned out delicious. It was my first time making mussels so I was nervous to try, but this was a simple recipe that really makes you feel like a pro. I also agree with the other reviewers in that have a crusty bread for the sauce is a MUST! Sooo good.
