Moules Mariniere is one of the dishes we only tend to eat in restaurants. This classic French Mussels recipe is actually very easy to cook at home as long as you can get hold of fresh mussels. It's a delicious one-pot dish that is ready in only 15 minutes.
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Moules Marinieres (or French Mussels) is made with fresh mussels cooked in white wine sauce and is originally from Normandy. It is widely popular throughout France, especially in coastal towns.
Mussels are very cheap, easy to find, and are at their best from midwinter to the end of summer. Moules Mariniere is perfect as an appetizer or a light lunch, and pairs perfectly with a glass of white wine, a bowl of salad, and some crusty bread.
How to Prepare Fresh Mussels?
Clean the mussels earliest an hour before cooking them. Since the big majority of mussels are farmed and then held in tanks to flush out grit and impurities, it’s not necessary to soak them in water at home.
First, check that all the mussels are closed. Give a gentle tap to open ones and discard those that don’t close within a few minutes. Also, discard any mussels with cracked or damaged shells.
Scrub the shells under running cold water with a small, stiff brush. Get rid of any debris like barnacles or mud spots and pull off the hairy beard that sticks out from the shell, if it has one.
Once they are cleaned, they should be cooked within half an hour.
If you love French food and want to find out more about French cooking, you might want to have a look at my other French recipes such as Traditional French Onion Soup, Ratatouille Nicoise, and Chicken Liver Parfait - Pate.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Mussels - This quick and easy seafood dish is best when it is made with fresh mussels. You can buy them from big supermarkets or fishmongers and they are surprisingly cheap.
- White Wine - Use a good quality dry white wine that you would be happy to drink. You can substitute it with brandy.
- Butter - Salted or unsalted butter adds extra flavour to the dish. You can substitute it with olive oil.
- Cream - Use double cream or heavy cream for delicious creamy mussels.
- Shallots - They have a sweet and delicate flavor that pairs perfectly with seafood dishes. You can substitute it with white onions.
How to Cook Moules Mariniere - French Mussels
This is a very simple recipe and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few tips and simple steps:
When the mussels are ready to cook, heat a large pan or a wok on medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the shallots and garlic, and gently saute for a few minutes until translucent.
Add the muscles and pour in the wine. Close a lid and cook the muscles for 2 to 3 minutes or until their shells are all open on high heat. Give the pan a good shake every now and then.
As the mussels cook, they will release their highly flavored salty water into the pot. Remove the pan from the heat, remove the muscles on a large bowl using tongs and return the pan to heat.
Keep the cooking liquid from the mussels in the pan, do not discard it. Add the double cream and freshly ground black pepper to the pan and let it boil for a few minutes then add the chopped parsley.
Return the mussels to the pan along with the liquid drained from them in the bowl. Avoid adding the grit that settled at the bottom of the bowl. Close the lid and return the pan to high heat for another minute to finish cooking the mussels. Give the pan a good shake making sure they are all covered with the creamy sauce.
Discard any unopened mussels before serving. Enjoy it with a bowl of salad and some crusty bread!
How to Store Fresh Mussels?
As with all seafood, the mussels are fresher when you prepare and eat them right away. They will stay alive longer if you wait to clean them until you are ready to cook.
Store the mussels in the refrigerator and keep them damp with a wet cloth if you won't be eating them straight away.
Since mussels are living, keeping them in a plastic container or plastic bag will suffocate them.
Don't keep mussels in fresh water, that would kill them as well.
Top Tips From The Chef
- Discard any mussels that are open and will not shut when you tap the shell.
- Once the mussels are cleaned, they should be cooked within half an hour.
- Do not eat any mussels that have not been opened after cooking.
- You can keep the leftovers in the freezer for a month and use them later for seafood risotto or paella dishes.
Recipe FAQs
I love having this simple seafood dish with some bread such as Bazlama (Turkish Bread) or Homemade Sandwich Bread and a bowl of salad such as Rocket Salad With Parmesan or Orzo Pasta Salad.
French fries are also a great accompaniment to mussels as well as a crusty French baguette.
Moules Mariniere or French Mussels is a classic French dish made with fresh mussels cooked with butter, garlic, white wine, and cream.
When buying fresh mussels, make sure they smell like the ocean and sea air. They should not smell overly fishy and the shells should be closed tightly. The shells of the mussels should be damp and shiny. Ask your fishmonger about when they are harvested, they are best within three to five days of leaving the water.
Related Recipes
For other delicious seafood recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this Classic French Mussels recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Moules Mariniere - French Mussels
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 kg fresh mussels
- 30 g butter
- 1 banana shallot (finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- ½ cup dry white wine or brandy (120 ml)
- ½ cup double cream (120 ml)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Clean the mussels in the sink under running water. Pick up each mussel and check that it's firmly closed. If you find an open mussel, lightly tap on its shell. If it closes up again, it is still alive but if it doesn't make any move, discard it. Scrub each mussel clean with a stiff brush to get rid of any debris like barnacles or mud spots and pull off the hairy beard that sticks out from the shell, if it has one. Once they are cleaned, they are ready to cook.
- Heat a large pan or a wok on medium heat and add the butter.
- Once the butter is melted, add the shallots and garlic, and gently sauté for a few minutes until translucent.
- Add the mussels and pour in the wine or brandy. Close a lid and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes or until their shells are all open on high heat. Give the pan a good shake now and then. As the mussels cook, they will release their highly flavored salty water into the pot.
- Remove the pan from the heat, remove the mussels on a large bowl using tongs and return the pan to heat. Keep the cooking liquid from the mussels in the pan, do not discard it.
- Add the double cream and freshly ground black pepper to the pan and let it boil for a few minutes then add the chopped parsley.
- Return the mussels to the pan along with the liquid drained from them in the bowl. Avoid adding the grit that settled at the bottom of the bowl.
- Close the lid and return the pan to high heat for another minute to finish cooking the mussels. Give the pan a good shake making sure the mussels are all covered with the creamy sauce.
- Discard any unopened mussels before serving.
Notes
- When buying fresh mussels, make sure they smell like the ocean and sea air.
- Store the mussels in the refrigerator and keep them damp with a wet cloth if you won't be eating them straight away.
- Discard any mussels that are open and will not shut when you tap the shell.
- Once the mussels are cleaned, they should be cooked within half an hour.
- Do not eat any mussels that have not been opened after cooking.
- You can keep the leftovers in the freezer for a month and use them later for seafood risotto or paella dishes.
- Don't keep mussels in fresh water, that would kill them as well.
Nutrition
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Ayla
Yum! I love mussels and luckily I can get some great ones. Thanks for this recipe, it’s a keeper!
Amber
Absolutely delicious and very easy. This is the best recipe I’ve ever tried. Will definitely make it again !