Wine and Garlic Steamed Mussels

Mussels make a great appetizer or side dish to any holiday menu. They’re quick and simple to prepare, and offer a mild seafood bite with touch of buttery garlic. For cooking, I prefer to use a shallow enamel cast iron Dutch oven, but a stockpot will work as well.

  • 2 Lbs Mussels
  • 4 T Butter
  • 1 Small sweet onion, diced
  • 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
  • 12 Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ C Fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 C Dry white wine
  • ¾ C Seafood or chicken stock
  • 2 T Fresh lemon juice
  • Salt & Pepper – to taste
  • Fresh basil and lemon
     wedges – to garnish
  • Crusty bread

Scrub the shells of the mussels. Melt butter in pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until transparent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, parsley, and pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes. 

Add wine, stock, and lemon juice, stirring to combine while bringing to a gentle boil. Add mussels and cover, reducing heat to a hard simmer. After 3 minutes, remove lid and stir. Re-cover and cook another 4-5 minutes – just until mussels are opened. Discard any mussels that are not open. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle mussels and broth in a shallow bowl, and garnish with fresh basil and lemon slices.  Serve with crusty bread for dipping.