PEI Mussels in White Wine and Garlic
A French classic: moules marinières. We use PEI Mussels, which are plump, clean, and grit-free straight from the bag. White wine, garlic, butter, and twenty total minutes. A no-fuss classic that is simple and delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs PEI mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse mussels under cold running water. Pull off any beards and discard any with cracked shells or that won't close when tapped.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven with a lid, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add garlic (and pepper flakes if using) and cook another 30 seconds.
- Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Let it reduce slightly for about 1 minute.
- Add the mussels, cover, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until the mussels have opened.
- Remove from heat. Discard any mussels that haven't opened. Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp butter. Taste the broth and adjust salt if needed.
- Divide between two wide bowls, ladle plenty of broth over top, and finish with parsley. Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
Store mussels at home in an open container in the fridge covered with a damp cloth. Never in a sealed bag. Before cooking, rinse, pull any beards, and tap any open shells — discard anything that doesn't close. After cooking, discard anything that didn't open.
Fish Notes
PEI mussels come from nutrient-rich waters and are farmed using longline aquaculture — suspended off the bottom, away from sediment. The result is a consistently clean, plump mussel with no grit and very little prep. They're the reason you don't need to soak them before cooking.