Fresh mussels are a treat for any seafood lover and are so easy to make they almost cook themselves. Make dinner extra special tonight with an appetizer of my steamed mussels.
If you love mussels as much as we do my quick and easy mussels recipe will make you very very happy! If you’ve always been intimated when it comes to shellfish, I’m here to show you just how easy it is to prepare restaurant style shellfish dishes in your home for a fraction of the cost of eating out.
How to buy fresh mussels
And today’s subject is mussels. The majority of mussels that you’ll find in local markets are farmed instead of wild-caught. This is good news both for the environment and for home cooks.
According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, farmed mussels (cultivated) are the “best choice” when it comes to mussel buying because the methods used are responsible, chemical-free, and can also benefit the surrounding ocean habitat. On the consumer side of things, farmed mussels are typically grown suspended in seawater, rather than on the ocean floor, which means less sand,
On the consumer side of things, farmed mussels are typically grown suspended in seawater, rather than on the ocean floor, which means less sand, seaweed and grit to clean off!
All bags of mussels and clams must have a tag on them. This is important because it tells you when the mussels were removed from the water and where they were taken from. In the restaurant, we have to keep these tags on file, in case anyone claims to have gotten sick from shellfish we served.
Here’s an important tip about storing or transporting your mussels.
Never store or transport mussels in anything airtight because they are alive and you want to keep them that way (this goes for the plastic bags you put them in at the grocery store- leave them open so they can breath)
How to cook fresh mussels
Mussels are so easy to cook they almost cook themselves. The first thing you need to do is rinse the mussels in cold running water. I usually do this with the mussels in a colander inside of a bigger bowl. I add fresh water and turn the mussels gently with my hands.
While you’re doing this you can pick out any mussels that are open. If they don’t close when you tap them, they’re dead. If they’re dead throw them out, never eat dead shellfish.
After you’ve rinsed the mussels with fresh water 3 or 4 times let them drain.
In a large frying pan, skillet, or pot add olive oil, chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. As the garlic begins to cook, add the mussels and fresh chopped basil. If you’d like to add any white wine this would be the time to add it.
Cover the pot and let the mussels cook until they’re all opened. Give them a couple more minutes than you think, to make sure they are fully cooked.
The fresher the mussels are the more natural juice you’ll have. At this point, you could add your favorite spaghetti sauce, if you prefer the mussels in a red sauce.
Where do the best Mussels come from?
Most chefs will agree that PEI (Prince Edward Island, Canada) is the gold standard for mussels in the US. That being said any cold water mussel is a good choice.
Washington state has amazing mussels, I just try to stay with cold water shellfish whenever possible.
I’ve eaten mussels in almost every country I’ve traveled to in Europe and they have ah-mazing!
What to serve with steamed mussels
Making a meal with my mussels recipe is pretty easy. You can either serve the mussels over pasta or serve up some crusty bread and cheese to go along with the meal. This is a good time to add in that rich dessert you’ve been craving since the meal itself is a little on the light side.
I added in two types of Gorgonzola cheese, Piccante and Dolce. The difference is in the aging with the Dolce being creamier and not as sharp as the Piccante.
I served up crusty Sourdough bread with the cheese and an assortment of olives that made my mussels a filling dinner. Throw in some homemade gelato and we’ve got a meal worthy of your favorite Italian restaurant.
If you like this recipe, you’re going to love these:
Quick and Easy Mussels Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bag fresh mussels 2-3 pounds
- 1 clove garlic -sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh basil - chopped
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 ounce white wine optional
Instructions
- Rinse your mussels thoroughly and remove any mussels that won’t close if you tap them. Open mussels are dead, and you can’t eat those.
- In a large saute pan add your olive oil and sliced Garlic. Allow the pan to heat up some and as the garlic begins to cook add in the mussels, red pepper flakes and basil.
- Cover the pan and allow the mussels to steam open.
- When the mussels have opened allow them to cook for 2-3 more minutes and serve immediately with a loaf of good crusty bread.
Kay Clement says
How do you prepare frozen mussels?
Chef Dennis Littley says
hi Kay
This is one way I use frozen mussels -> https://www.askchefdennis.com/new-zealand-mussels-served-5-ways-around-kitchen-table/
otherwise let them thaw and make a sauce from my original recipe, then add them to it to get them hot.
John says
Added a little lemon juice and butter to the broth and thought the final product was excellent. We will make this again
Walt says
I have made these mussels 3 times now, it’s so easy and absolutely amazing. I put a splash of white wine in the pan to give it a lil broth and served it over pasta. My family loves it.
Chef Dennis Littley says
thanks for taking the time to let me know you’ve been enjoying my mussels recipe Walt. Have you tried my clams and spaghetti?
Rebecc says
Forgive me if I’m wrong but I though closed muscles were dead…whereas this recipe claims the opposite.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Closed mussels are alive. When mussels or clams are open and will not close when tapped they are dead.
Kim says
Before the mussels go into the broth they are alive. Any mussels that are open before you put them in the hot liquid are dead and should be tossed out. To determine if it is alive, just tap the lip; if they remain open they are dead, if they close they are alive and ready to be tossed into the hot liquid.
Any mussels that remain closed after a period of time in the steaming hot liquid (no more than 5 minutes), should not be eaten.
I hope this clears up your confusion. 🙂
Maria says
These look delicious!! We love mussels…(and cheese and olives) This is such a simple recipe and easy recipe. You are right, its straight out of Italy!