Mussels Steamed in Wine & Herbs
Moules a la Mariniere: Quick and Easy Gourmet French Cuisine
A French bistro classic: mussels benefit from a hot herb-perfumed bath of white wine. Give steamer clams the same treatment. Or a mixture of the two.
Over half of France’s border is water: The English Channel on the north, the Atlantic to the west and the Mediterranean on the south. It should be no surprise, then, that French cuisine is in love with the fruits of the sea, the fruit de mer.
Seafood never needs or wants long cooking, so this is a major portion of French cuisine that is done quickly and often very simply, as in this recipe. It begs nothing more than a loaf of crusty French bread to soak up the luscious liqueur. Use a good-quality wine in this recipe, preferably the same wine you would drink with it. A good sauvignon blanc works well.
In cafes and bistros all around France (as well as Belgium, where Moules et Frites is practically the national dish) you will see steamed mussels served with pommes frites, what Americans call "French Fries." Belgians will tell you, with some authority, that they invented pommes frites. If so, why would Americans call them "French Fries"? One can only speculate that their knowledge of Belgium extends little further than Hercule Poirot.
Mussels Steamed in White Wine and Herbs
See the companion article on How to Buy, Store, Clean and De-Beard Mussels
You Will Need: A large pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 pounds mussels, cleaned and de-bearded (see companion article linked above)
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 3-4 whole peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- a pinch of thyme
- 1-2 cups of good-quality white wine
Directions:
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter and sauté the onion until just translucent. Add the garlic and sauté just 30 seconds longer.
- Turn the flame up to high and add all of the rest of the ingredients to the pot. There should be enough wine to have half an inch covering the bottom. When it comes to a boil, put the lid on tightly. Cook until most of the mussels open, about five minutes.
- Take the pot off the burner. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mussels to serving bowls. Discard any shells that did not open.
- Let the broth rest a minute to allow the remaining sand and grit to settle to the bottom. Then either carefully ladle the broth over the mussels, or carefully tip the pot to pour the broth into an intermediate vessel. In either case you want to leave the sediment at the bottom. Alternatively you can strain the broth through a cheesecloth-lined colander. The downside to that method is that you loose the tasty onion and herb bits.
Serve with plenty of crusty French bread to sop up the gorgeous liqueur. That’s almost the best part.
Yield: 4 servings as a starter (or two as a main course)
Variations
You will find a number of regional variations in France. In Provence they make a lovely variation by adding chopped tomato and more garlic. In Normandy they might finish the dish with Calvados, their wonderful apple brandy. In many areas the dish is enriched with a spash of cream at the finish.
Try Steamed Clams a l'Indienne for a different take on steamed shellfish, or here's another variation made with Vermouth.
Hungry for more? Find out what's happening in French Cuisine, Check out more recipes that demystify the basic techniques and ingredients of French Cuisine. Explore the cuisine of France's Regions beyond Paris
