- April 30, 2024
- Appetizers
Mussels In White Wine Cream Sauce
Tender fresh mussels simmered in a luxurious white wine cream sauce, infused with leeks, garlic, and herbs, creating a rich and flavorful seafood delight. This dish is perfect for savoring with a big pile of French fries to soak up the aromatic sauce!
Why This Recipe Works
Restaurant-Quality At Home: Mussels in white wine sauce sounds like a restaurant menu item, right? But you can totally make these restaurant-quality mussels right at home! Steamed in flavorful aromatics like leeks and shallots and drenched in a creamy white wine sauce, these mussels have so much flavor and are perfectly simple to make at home!
Simple & Impressive: Don’t be scared of making mussels at home! The process is actually quite simple and after prepping and cleaning the mussels, it doesn’t take much time at all! After you do it once, you will be a total pro. My mussels in white wine cream sauce is perfect to make on date night or for when you have company over!
Tips For Purchasing Fresh or Frozen Mussels
When you buy fresh mussels from the grocery store, they are live mussels. This keeps them fresh! Fresh mussels are generally tightly shut and have shiny, black shells. They should smell like the sea, but not overly fishy. They are sold in a mesh bag to keep them open to the air.
After you purchase fresh mussels, carry them home in a bag with an opening at the top so that they can still get air. I recommend using them on the same day that you buy them to ensure freshness! To store in the fridge until you are ready to use them, place them in a colander inside a larger bowl and place a moist paper towel on top of them.
For the best quality, go for fresh mussels. You can opt for frozen mussels as long as they are shelled. Then simply cook them straight from frozen.
Supplies Needed
Ingredients
- Mussels: Fresh mussels cleaned and prepped!
- Olive Oil & Butter: A combination of olive oil and butter is used to sauté the aromatics and spices.
- Aromatics: Shallots, leeks and garlic are added here for a light yet savory flavor!
- White Wine: Use a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinto Grigio. Avoid Chardonnay since it can sometimes be too strong of a flavor, and avoid sweet wines like Moscato.
- Half & Half: For a creamy, dreamy white wine cream sauce!
- Dried Thyme: Adds a bit of herby goodness to the sauce.
- Salt & Pepper: To taste.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Optional, if you like a little spice!
- Parsley: To garnish.
- French Fries: Serve your mussels in white wine cream sauce with crispy french fries to make it a meal!
How To Prepare Mussels In White Wine Cream Sauce
For The Mussels
- Clean the Mussels: Begin by cleaning and soaking the mussels in cold salt water for 30 minutes to expel dirt and sand.
- Drain & Rinse: Drain the water and rinse them well. Remove any beards with a paper towel and pat them down so they are clean. The beard is a small thread-like cluster that might be on the shell. Check for any dead mussels. Dead mussels will be slightly open and won’t close after you tap them. If they are alive, they close tight when tapped.
- Set Aside: Once prepped, set them aside in a bowl or keep them in the fridge until you are ready to begin cooking.
For The Cream Sauce
- Sauté the Aromatics: On the stovetop in a large 5.5 quart Dutch oven, heat the olive oil to medium heat. Sauté the leeks, shallots, and garlic for 5 minutes. Then add in the butter, thyme, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and cook until the butter is melted.
- Add Wine: Pour in the white wine and let it come to a light simmer.
- Add Mussels: Add the mussels to the pot and toss to combine everything. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and cook for about 5 minutes or until the mussels are fully open. Discard and mussels that do not open.
- Add Cream: Pour the half and half over the mussels and toss everything well until combined. Cook until the half and half is heated through, and additional 1-2 minutes.
- Serve: Before serving, toss everything together to evenly disperse the leek and shallot mixture. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with crispy french fries. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Mussels in white wine cream sauce are a decadent meal that go well with any side dish that will help to soak up that gorgeous sauce! I like to serve my freshly steamed mussels with crispy french fries. You can also serve them with crusty garlic bread if you prefer!
More Recipes To Try
- Seared Scallops in Sake Butter Sauce
- Smoked Cod
- Langostino Ceviche
- Air Fryer Crab Cakes
- Coconut Crusted Salmon with Chimichurri
Mussels In White Wine Cream Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Mussels Cleaned and Prepped
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 Shallots minced finely
- 1 large Leek white and light green part only
- 6 cloves Garlic sliced thin
- 1.5 cups Dry White Wine
- 1/4 cup Half and Half
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes Optional
- Fresh Parsley to garnish
- 1 package Frozen French Fries cook according to package directions
Instructions
Preparing the Mussels
- Begin by cleaning and soaking the mussels in cold salt water for 30 minutes to expel dirt and sand.
- Drain the water and rinse them well. Remove any beards with a paper towel and pat them down so they are clean. Check for any dead mussels (they will be open and won't close after you tap them).
- Once prepped, set them aside in a bowl or keep them in the fridge until ready to begin cooking.
Cooking the Mussels in White Wine Cream Sauce
- On the stovetop in a large 5.5 quart Dutch oven, heat the olive oil to medium heat.
- Sauté the leeks, shallots, and garlic for 5 minutes. Then add in the butter, thyme, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook until the butter is melted.
- Pour in the white wine and let it come up to a light simmer.
- Add the mussels to the pot and toss to combine everything. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and cook for about 5 minutes or until the mussels are fully open. Discard any mussels that do not open.
- Pour the half and half over the mussels and toss everything well until combine. Cook until the half and half is heated through, an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Before serving, toss everything together to evenly disperse the leek and shallot mixture. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with crispy french fries.