Moules Mariniere (or French Mussels) is one of the dishes we only tend to eat in restaurants.
It's a delicious one-pot dish that is ready in only 15 minutes.
This classic French Mussels recipe is actually very easy to cook at home as long as you can get hold of fresh mussels.
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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 Moules Mariniere - French 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.
How to Eat Moules Mariniere?
If you've never had Moules Mariniere before, you may be wondering how to eat them.
Here are some tips on how to enjoy this delicious dish:
- Use an empty mussel shell to scoop out the meat: Once you've removed a mussel from its shell, you can use the empty shell to scoop out the meat from other mussels.
- Use a fork to remove the meat from the shell: If you don't want to use an empty shell to scoop out the meat, you can use a fork to remove the meat from the shell.
- Dip the bread in the broth: The broth in which the mussels are cooked is incredibly flavorful and is perfect for dipping bread in. So, make sure to order a side of bread to soak up all that delicious broth.
- Use the lid of the pot as a discard bowl: As you eat your mussels, you'll end up with a pile of empty shells. Rather than leaving them on your plate, you can use the lid of the pot as a discard bowl.
- Use your hands: While it's perfectly acceptable to use a fork to remove the meat from the shell, you can also use your hands if you prefer.
- Savor the broth: The broth in which the mussels are cooked is the star of the show, so make sure to savor every last drop.
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.
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 flavor 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 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!
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Top Tips From the Chef
- The key to a great Moules Mariniere is to use fresh, live mussels. Look for closed shells and avoid any that are open or have broken shells.
- Before cooking, scrub the mussels with a stiff brush under cold running water to remove any debris or barnacles. Discard any that are damaged or open.
- 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.
- Moules Mariniere is a simple dish that relies on high-quality ingredients. Gather garlic, shallots, white wine, butter, and parsley and prepare them before starting to cook your dish.
- Overcooking the mussels can result in tough, rubbery meat. As soon as the mussels have opened, remove them from the heat and discard any that remain closed.
- You can keep the leftovers in the freezer for a month and use them later for seafood risotto or paella dishes.
What to Serve with Moules Mariniere?
I love having this simple seafood dish with some bread such as Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread) or Homemade Sandwich Bread and a bowl of salad such as Rocket Salad With Parmesan or Orzo Pasta Salad.
French fries or Sweet Potato Fries are also a great accompaniment to mussels as well as a crusty French baguette or a few slices of Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread.
Recipe FAQs
Moules Mariniere is traditionally paired with dry white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet, and Chablis. These wines complement the delicate flavors of the dish without overpowering them.
Moules Mariniere or French Mussels is a classic French dish with fresh mussels cooked with butter, garlic, white wine, and cream. It is often served with a side of crispy fries or crusty bread to soak up the delicious broth.
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
- The key to a great Moules Mariniere is to use fresh, live mussels. Look for closed shells and avoid any that are open or have broken shells.
- 'Before cooking, scrub the mussels with a stiff brush under cold running water to remove any debris or barnacles. Discard any that are damaged or open.
- 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.'
- Moules Mariniere is a simple dish that relies on high-quality ingredients. Gather garlic, shallots, white wine, butter, and parsley and prepare them before starting to cook your dish.
- Overcooking the mussels can result in tough, rubbery meat. As soon as the mussels have opened, remove them from the heat and discard any that remain closed.
- 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 !