This mussels recipe comes with a savory white wine garlic butter sauce and the mussels themselves are seasoned with a generous amount of parsley and lovage.
They’re extremely easy to make and come together in just half an hour.
You can serve them with a piece of toast or a bruschetta.
White Wine Garlic Butter Sauce Mussels
There are plenty of different ways in which you can cook mussels, most of which inspired by Mediterranean cuisine.
One of the most popular Mediterranean ways is to cook them along with some rice.
If however you’re looking for a lighter dish, you can make a simple white wine sauce and serve them with a piece of toast.
And this recipe does just that.
Apart from the sauce, the mussels are seasoned with some fresh parsley, lovage and a bit of cayenne pepper for a spicy kick.
Naturally, you can omit the cayenne pepper if you aren’t into spicy foods, although in this case the spiciness is barely noticeable.
When I make these mussels it’s usually for a dinner with drinks, since they pair exceptionally well with the three main alcoholic beverages – beer, wine and rye-based spirits.
Ingredients
- Fresh shelled mussels – Make sure you thoroughly inspect the mussels before buying and check if their shells are cracked or open. You can keep the mussels in some cold water after you buy them to keep them fresh.
- Unsalted butter – Unsalted butter is the base for the sauce If you have only salted butter at hand, you should omit the salt from the recipe.
- White wine – Any type of dry white wine such as chardonnay will do the trick. I’m personally using Muscat Ottonel.
- Lemon juice – A drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice will add a refreshing note to the mussels.
- Aromatics – No sauce would be complete without some finely chopped onions and garlic.
- Seasonings – The mussels are seasoned with a mix of black pepper and cayenne pepper.
- Herbs – Fresh lovage and parsley are a must for most Mediterranean seafood.
How to Make
Check out the recipe card at the end of this article for detailed, step-by-step instructions.
Start by thoroughly cleaning the brown shoots on the mussels with a brush.
Check if there are any mussels with broken shells and throw them out if necessary.
Next, melt the butter in the olive oil in a large pan and saute the onions.
Add the garlic and cook it until it releases its aroma.
Stir in the white wine and lemon juice and simmer them for a couple of minutes.
Continue by adding the mussels and fresh lovage in the pot.
Turn the heat to high and cook the mussels until they open up.
Take out the mussels from the pot and throw out the unopened ones.
Finish by serving the mussels and garnishing them with the sauce and finely chopped parsley.
Storage
Mussels are a highly perishable product so it’s best to consume them the day they’re cooked.
I don’t recommend storing them in the fridge as it’s highly likely they will spoil.
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White Wine Garlic Butter Sauce Mussels
Ingredients
- 3 pounds mussels weighed before cleaning
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 oz onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic large cloves; minced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup lovage fresh; chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley fresh; finely chopped; optional garnish
- 1 cup white wine dry; Muscat Ottonel is my preference
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh
Instructions
- Rinse the mussels under cold running water. Remove the beards and scrub away any dirt with a small brush. Discard mussels with broken shells and any open ones that don't close when checked.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot and melt the butter in it.
- Add the finely chopped onion and cook for 5–6 minutes, until softened without browning. Add the garlic and cook for another 20 seconds.
- Pour in the white wine and lemon juice and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in the dry seasonings, then add ⅓ of the lovage, half of the mussels, and the remaining mussels and lovage on top.
- Cover the pot with a glass lid, turn the heat to high, and cook for about 5–6 minutes, until the mussels open. Keep the lid closed and don't shake the pot..
- Remove the mussels from the pot and discard any that remain unopened.
- Divide the mussels into portions. Stir the sauce to distribute the liquid and aromatics, then spoon it over the mussels without straining. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve with toast.
Video
Notes
- Buy fresh mussels from a trusted seafood vendor. If you're not cooking them immediately, keep them refrigerated in a colander set over a bowl, covered with a damp towel. Don't store them submerged in water.
- Clean the mussels under cold running water, removing the beards and scrubbing away dirt where necessary. Discard any with broken shells. If a mussel is open, check whether it closes when gently tapped; discard it if it stays open.
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Nutrition
I do my best to provide you with the nutritional information for recipes but I'm not a certified nutritionist. The nutritional information provided should only be treated as an estimate since it will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
I am trying to teach my husband to cook and he brought mussels home from the market. He followed this recipe exactly (with a little help chopping garlic, gathering the ingredients, etc.) We served it over fettucine noodles. It was fantastic. He wanted me to print it out for his recipe collection so he can make it again. He was so proud of himself and he gave this recipe 5 stars!
Thank you so much for sharing this! I love hearing that your husband took on the challenge and made this recipe a success. Serving it over fettuccine sounds like a fantastic idea—it must have soaked up all that delicious white wine garlic butter sauce! I’m honored that this recipe made it into his collection, and I hope he continues to enjoy cooking more great meals. Tell him he absolutely earned those 5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐