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A big pot of steamed mussels in white wine garlic butter broth with parsley, lemon wedges and toasted crusty bread

Steamed Mussels in White Wine Garlic Butter

Fresh mussels steamed open in a fragrant broth of white wine, garlic, shallots and butter, finished with parsley and lemon. Serve with crusty bread.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Calories: 330
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Mussels
  • 3 pounds live mussels scrubbed and debearded (1.4 kg)
White wine garlic broth
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 1/4 cups dry white wine (300 ml)
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • black pepper to taste
To serve
  • 1 lemon cut into wedges
  • 1 baguette sliced and toasted

Method
 

Prep
  1. Rinse and scrub the mussels, pull off any beards and discard any with cracked shells or open shells that do not close when tapped.
Cook
  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the shallots for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Add the wine and thyme, bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute.
  3. Add the mussels, cover tightly and steam over high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until the shells open.
  4. Transfer the opened mussels to bowls with a slotted spoon. Discard any that did not open.
  5. Swirl the remaining butter, lemon juice and most of the parsley into the broth. Season with pepper.
  6. Ladle the broth over the mussels, leaving any sandy dregs in the pot. Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges and toasted bread.

Notes

Safety: Discard mussels with cracked shells, open shells that will not close before cooking, and any that stay closed after cooking.
No wine: Use low sodium chicken or seafood broth plus 1 extra tablespoon of lemon juice.
Nutrition is an estimate per serving and does not include bread.