Buzz
Mussels are a type of delicious shellfish that can be steamed, boiled, grilled, baked, or cooked in various ways. They are tasty on their own, but you can also enjoy them with fries, bread, or combine them with other seafood dishes. Follow this guide if you're interested in preparing meals with mussels.
- Preparation time (for steaming): 20-30 minutes
- Cooking time: 6-8 minutes
- Total time: 26-38 minutes
Steps
Prepare the Mussels
Select the freshest mussels. Purchase mussels from a reputable seller. You need to buy live mussels, which means choosing ones with closed shells. Discard any mussels with open shells when you take them home, or if they are damaged. Keep in mind that mussels that do not open after cooking should also be discarded, as they were already dead before you began cooking them.
Rinse the mussels with cold water. Scrub the shells to remove any algae, dirt, or other debris that may be attached. Clean each mussel individually, making sure to remove any beard that may be present on the shell.
Remove the beard. To clean the beard from each mussel, simply pinch it with your thumb and index finger and pull it off with a firm tug. The beard is not harmful and is edible, but it’s not particularly tasty; so don't worry if you can't completely clean it. Some mussels may already be cleaned, so there’s no need to be concerned if you find mussels without a beard. You can also use a knife to cut it off.
Steamed Mussels
Prepare the ingredients. Here's what you'll need to make steamed mussels:
- About 2 kg of mussels
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 finely chopped shallot
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
- 1 juicy lemon
- 1 cup of chicken broth
Pour the chicken broth and spices into a large pot. Add ½ cup of dry white wine and 1 cup of chicken broth to the pot. Sauté the finely chopped shallot, grated garlic, and fresh thyme sprigs in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 2-3 minutes in a pan, then transfer them to the pot.
Place the mussels in the soup and steam over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes. Add 2 kg of mussels to the pot and steam until the shells open. Discard any mussels that remain closed.
Strain and retain the liquid.
Enjoy. Cut a lemon slice and squeeze the juice over the steamed mussels to suit your taste. You can also serve them with fries or bread.
Grilled Mussels
Prepare the ingredients. Here's what you'll need to make grilled mussels:
- 1.5 kg of mussels, cleaned and scrubbed
- ¼ cup of unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
- 2 halves of lemon
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Preheat the grill over medium-high heat. Clean the grill and brush a little oil on it.
Melt the butter over medium heat in a small pot. Heat it up, then remove the pot from the stove and stir in 3 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley. Set the butter and parsley mixture aside.
Arrange a layer of cleaned mussels on the grill. If necessary, grill in batches if all the mussels cannot fit on the grill at once.
Place 2 lemon halves on the grill and brush a little oil on them. Position the cut sides of the lemon down on the grill.
Grill the mussels for 5 minutes until the shells open. At this point, the lemons will also be heated and browned.
Transfer the opened mussels to a large plate. Use tongs for this task. Discard any mussels with closed shells as they were dead before cooking.
Pour the butter and parsley mixture over the mussels. Then, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy. Savor the delicious grilled mussels with lemon, and eat them while they are still hot.
Baked Mussels
Prepare the ingredients. Here's what you'll need for baked mussels:
- About 1 kg of green mussels, cleaned and beards removed
- 60 g of whole almonds
- tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1.5 tablespoons of finely chopped shallots
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 tablespoons of dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1.5 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
- ¼ teaspoon of finely chopped thyme
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Bread to serve alongside
Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
Roast the almonds. Spread 60 g of almonds evenly on a baking tray. Place the tray in the oven and roast until the almonds release a fragrant aroma, about 5 minutes.
Grind the almonds. Let the almonds cool, then crush them by hand or place them in a food processor to grind them finely.
Place a non-stick pan on the stove over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and cook until the butter melts, which should take about 30 seconds.
Add the shallots and garlic. Add 1.5 tablespoons of finely chopped shallots and 2 minced garlic cloves to the melted butter and cook until the mixture turns opaque, about 2-3 minutes.
Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Pour 6 tablespoons of dry white wine and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into the pan, then remove the pan once the mixture comes to a boil.
Add the herbs and almonds to the pan. Stir in 1.5 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley, ¼ teaspoon of chopped thyme, and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro into the pan, along with salt and pepper to taste.
Increase the oven temperature to 230ºC.
Arrange the mussels on a baking tray. Place a layer of cleaned green mussels, with the beards removed, onto the baking tray.
Add the remaining 2.5 tablespoons of butter to the mussels. Cut the butter into pieces and evenly distribute them on top of the mussels.
Grill the mussels until the shells open. Turn the mussels every 3-4 minutes to coat them in butter, and continue until the shells open and the sauce becomes thick and creamy.
Enjoy. Serve the mussels immediately after grilling, or pair them with some bread to dip in the sauce.
Pan-seared Mussels
Prepare the ingredients. Here's what you'll need to make pan-seared mussels:
- About 1.5 kg of small mussels
- 5 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 60g of chopped mint leaves
- 60g of basil leaves
- 20g of spring onions
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon of canola oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Scrub and remove the beards from the mussels. Let the mussels dry after washing them.
Cắt 20 g hành lá thành đoạn khoảng 2,5cm.
Cắt 1 quả ớt chuông đỏ. Cắt ớt chuông thành lát dài.
Pha nước mắm với đường và hạt tiêu. Cho 1 thìa canh nước nắm, 1 thìa canh đường và tiêu tùy theo khẩu vị.
Phi 5 tép tỏi băm với 2 thìa canh dầu ô liu trong chảo to khoảng 30 giây trên lửa lớn.
Cho 1,5 kg vẹm nhỏ vào chảo và xào khoảng 3-5 phút đến vỏ mở ra.
Add the fish sauce mixture and continue to stir-fry until the mussels open. Discard any mussels that do not open.
Add chopped mint, basil, spring onions, and sliced bell pepper, and stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes. Stir-fry the 60g of chopped mint, 60g of basil, 20g of spring onions, and 1 sliced red bell pepper until the flavors blend with the mussels.
Serve. Enjoy the mussels with jasmine rice or simply on their own.
Tips
- Make a butter, white wine, and lemon sauce, then pour it over the mussels. You can also sprinkle some feta cheese on top and serve with a loaf of bread for dipping—it’s delicious.
- A popular mussel recipe is moules à la marinière. First, sauté minced shallots in melted butter, then add the mussels and a spoonful of flour (to thicken the broth), pour in some white wine (like an inexpensive Sauvignon blanc), and simmer. Once done, stir in some chopped parsley.
Warning
- If you’re gathering mussels yourself rather than purchasing them, make sure to check if the water source is contaminated. This is crucial because mussels from polluted waters can cause food poisoning.
What You’ll Need
- Steaming pot
- Sieve for straining water
- Bowl
