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 the 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 breathe)
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.
For my mussels recipe, start with 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.
Do I need to De-Beard the Mussels?
The majority of mussels you’ll find in Supermarkets or at Seafood Distributors are farm-raised (including PEI mussels) and need little to no debearding. a good rinsing is usually all they need.
On the other hand, wild mussels can be full of sand and debris and will need more cleaning and de-bearding.
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.
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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.
Nutrition
Eileen
Just wondering why the cleaning instructions don’t mention debearding the mussels? The debearding is why I’ve never tried cooking mussels at home.
Chef Dennis Littley
most mussels that are available in markets have very little to no beards these days. In my early restaurant days when we would buy a bushel of mussels, they needed more cleaning but the bags I buy these days are relatively clean. If you come across one or two that need cleaning it’s easy enough to do.
Jo
I can’t wait to try some mussels when travelling becomes safe. I have always got tempted looking at mussels but sadly we don’t get it in my country. Those looks tempting
Eileen
Good to know I look forward to cooking mussels at home using your recipe!
Melanie
I grew up eating Moules Marinière, it’s my favorite starter!! Now you have me looking to see if I can get any here where I am now!! Your recipe looks delicious!
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli
Being Italian I love mussels and I have had them in many ways and many places. This is an easy, quick, and straightforward recipe to make delicious mussels to have with bread or pasta. Thank you for all the info about farmed mussels!
Marisa F. Stewart
We love our seafood!! We have a seafood night at least twice a week. Your information on the mussels was really helpful. I normally try to buy wild caught but reading about PEI mussels made me rest at ease about purchasing them from that area. And when I made your recipe I didn’t have basil handy but I did have Italian parsley. They they turned out delicious and luckily I had some fresh baked baguettes so I had a scarpetta to soak up the juice.
Veronika
I’ve never cooked mussels before myself but always wanted to try. I love your recipe and want to try to make it this month. Will let you know how it came out 😉
Leslie
I didn’t realize that you could have mussels prepared in just 15 minutes. I’m a little naive when it comes to seafood. This is great to know. You had a lot of helpful information in this post. Thank you!
Kathryn Donangelo
We LOVED these mussels! Since we haven’t been able to eat out much this year, I loved making these at home and they tasted even better than the restaurants. Next time I find mussels at the store I’ll make these again. Thanks Dennis!
Swathi
I am afraid to clean them looks like really easy recipe I will try to buy and try this .
Bernice Hill
I was just chatting with a friend about how easy it is to make mussels at home…even though I’ve never done it. I am super nervous about buying bad mussels and getting sick. Once I bought some from Costco and I just couldn’t do it…they smelled so bad!
Thanks for your tips on selecting and cleaning mussels. I think I could actually give this a go now.
Denise
Very informative post. I appreciate your tips and advice on buying and cooking mussels! Thank you!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
Mussels are a must when you marry into an Italian family! This recipe is perfect and so easy! Definitely double the recipe as you’ll go nuts over it!
Amy
These were so delicious! Only regret was not getting more!
Catherine
This was so delicious!
Alexandra
Love mussels! Thank you so much for all of your tips and tricks.
Laura
Love these mussels. Very tasty.
Emily Flint
We used to order Mussels all the time when we lived in San Francisco so I can’t wait to make this recipe and have them again! Thank you!
Capri
This was such a pleasure to read! My mussels turned out great!
Angela
Looks delicious!
Elizabeth
Great recipe! I love mussels!
Sue
A simple and delicious recipe for mussels! Thank you!
Brunch with Sam
I love your mussel recipe! It’s important to keep it simple. I’ll have to follow your recipe when I make mussels again. Thanks for sharing!
Marina
Love seafood and the mussels look amazing! Great recipe, thanks for sharing
Jen Talley
I love how simple this recipe is! I agree with serving it with a nice crusty bread! I need to pick up some mussels next trip to the store!
Sara Hilzendeger
Thank you for the breakdown in sourcing and prepping along with cooking. I loved the information! Any little grit ruins shellfish like scallops and mussels so it’s nice to know the farmed ones are better in this regard.
Amy
Great recipe! Mussels are so fantastic that I like that you haven’t complicated the recipe with too many flavours. Love that you’ve tried mussels in almost every country! My favourite has got to be the New Zealand green mussels. Not only are they so plump and fresh, in NZ, they are crazy cheap! Which mussels are your favourite?
Kay Clement
How do you prepare frozen mussels?
Chef Dennis Littley
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
Added a little lemon juice and butter to the broth and thought the final product was excellent. We will make this again
Walt
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
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
Forgive me if I’m wrong but I though closed muscles were dead…whereas this recipe claims the opposite.
Chef Dennis Littley
Closed mussels are alive. When mussels or clams are open and will not close when tapped they are dead.
Kim
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
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!