Easy mussels with white wine, garlic & cream
I love mussels for a number of reasons but their affordability-to-deliciousness ratio and their speed of cooking are right up there. They can be enjoyed in a multitude of ways, and you can find my other mussel recipes here. This classic recipe for mussels with white wine, garlic & cream is my favourite. Enjoy this easy weeknight dinner with a glass of dry white wine.
How to clean fresh mussels
- Discard any mussels that are already open. Live mussels should be tightly closed.
- Scrub the mussels under cold running water to remove any dirt or debris.
- Use a small knife or your fingers to remove the beards from the mussels. The beard is a small tuft of fibres that protrudes from the shell. Grab it firmly and pull it out towards the hinge end of the mussel.
- Soak the cleaned mussels in a large bowl of cold water for 20-30 minutes. This helps to remove any sand or grit inside the shells.
- After soaking, drain the mussels and give them a final rinse under cold running water.
- Discard any mussels that are still open or have broken shells.
- Your cleaned mussels are now ready to be cooked according to your mussel recipe
This recipe feeds two people and takes about 10 minutes to make. Have everything ready before you get going – I love to pour myself a glass of wine to enjoy the process. I’ve also added a glass of the Limestone Hill to the recipe because you want to put the best wine in it too. A lovely loaf of crusty bread is imperative to serve with these mussels to mop up the delicious sauce.
What you need to make a pot of mussels with white wine, garlic & cream?
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this mussel recipe.
- Fresh clean mussels. See the instructions above on how to clean them if not.
- Shallots are the perfect base for this dish but use a brown/white onion if you cannot source shallots.
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley and thyme leaves are my herbs of choice with this dish.
- Good white wine – the mussels steam in the white wine broth absorbing the flavour (you could substitute this with fish or seafood stock if you don’t drink alcohol but this will affect the taste profile).
- The cream makes this dish indulgent and tempers all the other flavours. You can use pouring, whipping or heavy cream here.
What to serve with mussels cooked with white wine, garlic & cream.
Crusty bread: Serve some crusty bread or baguette slices to mop up the delicious cooking liquid.
Fries: Classic French fries are a popular accompaniment for mussels, especially in Belgium.
Salad: A crisp green salad with a simple vinaigrette can help cut through the richness of the dish.
Roasted vegetables: Roasted or grilled vegetables, such as asparagus, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes, can be a great complement to the mussels.
Rice or pasta: Serve the mussels over a bed of rice or pasta to create a more substantial meal.
Sautéed greens: Sautéed spinach, Swiss chard, or kale can add a healthy and flavorful side dish to your mussels.
Aioli: A simple garlic mayonnaise, or aioli, is a traditional accompaniment for mussels in France.
Grilled or toasted bread rubbed with garlic: Bruschetta, crostini, or garlic bread can all be tasty options to accompany the mussels.
As mentioned, a glass of white wine is the perfect drink to wash this all down. Cheers!
My other top seafood recipes you might also like:
Jamie Oliver’s fantastic fish pie
Mussels steamed in orange & fennel
Baked whole trout with herbs and lemon
Creamy salmon pasta with spinach, capers & lemon
Trout en Papillote with fennel
Prawn pasta with tomato, garlic & cream
Mussels with white wine, garlic & cream
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 2 shallots very finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic crushed
- 6 – 8 thyme stalks
- 200 ml De Wetshof Estate Chardonnay or other dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
- 1 kg of mussels fresh
- 250 ml cream
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- A light scattering of finely grated lemon zest optional
- 2 tsp lemon juice optional
Instructions
- In a large heavy-based pot, add the butter and olive oil and sauté the shallots until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and thyme stalks and cook for about another minute over medium-high heat but keep stirring to prevent the garlic from going brown.
- Add the white wine and then the mussels. Put the lid on the pot and steam for about 3 minutes until the shells are open.
- Scoop the mussels and thyme stalks out of the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Discard the thyme and any mussels that have not opened.
- Add the cream to the pan liquid and allow this to bubble over low heat until the sauce has reduced slightly, and the cream starts to thicken.
- Add half the parsley and then add the cooked mussels back in and toss around to reheat for a minute or 2.
- Sprinkle over the remaining parsley and lemon zest and juice if you are using it serve immediately with the crusty bread and a glass of Chardonnay.
Notes
For more recipes I’ve made with the absolutely delicious Limestone Hill:
Roast baby chickens stuffed with pork & sage
Risotto Milanese with brown butter pan-fried prawns
This post was sponsored by Dewetshof Estate
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Absolutely gorgeous bowls of mussels. I’ve never cooked my own, unfortunately, because I can only get them frozen. But I do eat them any chance I get!
Thanks so much Mimi x
What kind of cream are you using? 🙂
How many people does this serve??? And do you have the measurements in US metrics?
You can use any cream. I usually use whipping cream but pouring is fine too or double thick
Hi Melissa – it serves about tow people and I don’t have US metrics (these can easily be converted)
Thank you. Have tried it with whipping cream. Result was outstanding!
Great recipe! Made it last night to rave reviews! Did not have shallots so substituted 1 leek white & 1/2 of green parts chopped . Delicious sauce get some good bread for dipping! Will definately make again . Get everything chopped and have butter melted before hand so when you’re ready it take no time at all.
BTW also doubled garlic.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Val and added your own twists
Wow. So good. We are making this a Lent Friday regular.
Question: is there a recommended way to reheat this? I was mid prep when hubby got called to work and he won’t get off until midnight. Maybe a way to make part of it and finish it off?
Hi Kelly – thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed this dish. If you are only reheating a small amount I would place in a covered bowl and reheat in the microwave. Otherwise back in a pot with a lid and bring them back to a boil and steam for a minute or 2
Made this last night exactly as written. It was FABULOUS!
Im so glad you enjoyed hte recipe
Hi! These were super easy to make and they tasted pretty good! I did have an issue with my cream curdling as soon as I put it in. I tried to whisk it together which seemed to help a bit but as soon as it sat for a moment it would separate. Tasted fine but looked weird and didn’t have a super creamy texture. Any advice?
Hi Emily, its hard to know why the cream spit as it certainly never has for me and I was not there to see what was happening. Always tricky to know. Perhaps too much wine? It should emulsify into the broth and the mussels give off some liquid while they cook. Perhaps you had too much acid like lemon? this can cause cream to split (although this isn’t in the recipe). This is the only thing I can think of sorry
Great recipe for a newbie! Made this for my fam & they loved them. Will definitely be making again.
So glad you enjoyed the mussels Tammy and thanks for letting me know