Mussels in White Wine and butter

Overview

Spring is finally here! With that, we are excited to transition from heavier dishes that keep us warm during those cold winter months to bright and light dishes that bring a pep in our step.

They say it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile. When we’re talking about these mussels - it couldn’t be further from the truth!

Mussels in a white wine sauce is an all-time classic. Served with some quality crusty bread, it doesn’t get better than that. We’ve added some peas and green beans to complement their delicate flavour with some sweetness.

Simplicity is key in cooking and in life. Focus on the best ingredients you can find and this recipe will hit the spot every single time.

El Enemigo Chardonnay

Wine Pairing

Mussels are a delicately flavored dish that is enhanced well with this white wine sauce. In this case, we suggest cooking and drinking the same wine with this meal, but you can always cook with and drink different wines if you prefer to splurge on the drinking one.

In both the cooking and drinking wine you need something with a bright and crisp acidity. The best option is to focus on a wine that has a bright citrus note in it as this will highlight the mussels well. You will want to avoid any oaked white wines for this dish as they can tend to overpower the more delicate flavors, while adding an oak flavor to the dish that it doesn’t benefit from.

We have found a perfect wine that hits all of these criteria and more. You can easily cook with it without breaking the bank, and it is an excellent wine to drink. The El Enemigo Chardonnay has bright citrus notes with a crisp acidity, but also has a deeper baked apples note that really shines with this dish. You can read the full tasting notes and review here.

Ingredients (~2 Servings)

• 2lbs of mussels

• 0.25 cups of olive oil

• 1-2 shallots, finely chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

• 2 springs of fresh thyme, leaves picked and stems discarded, finely chopped

• 0.25 cups of white wine

• 0.25 cups of chicken or seafood stock

• 1 cup of frozen peas

• 1-2 cups of green beans, cut into half

• 3-4 Tbsp of good butter

• 2 Tbsp of lemon juice

• Some finely chopped Italian parsley

Steps

• Cook the Mussels

  • Rinse 2lbs of mussels with cold water. Discard any shells that are cracked or open.

  • Heat 1 large heavy pot on medium-high heat with 0.25 cups of olive oil.

  • Once the oil is hot, add 1-2 finely chopped shallots and 2 finely chopped springs of thyme.

  • Sautee until the shallots become translucent then add the 1-2 cloves of finely minced garlic.

  • Sautee 1-2 minutes longer.

  • Add the 2lbs of cleaned mussels to the pot and stir to coat in the oil / vegetable mixture.

  • Add 0.25 cups of white wine to the pot.

  • Add 0.25 cups of chicken or seafood stock to the pot.

  • Cover the pot with a lid and let the mussels cook for 3-4 minutes.

  • Remove the lid and remove the mussels from the pot as they start to open. Place them in a separate bowl.

  • Remember - discard any mussels that do not open!

• Saucey ;)

  • Now that you’ve cooked the mussels and they are in a separate pot, turn up the heat to high and reduce the liquid by 1/3.

  • Add 1 cup of frozen peas and 1-2 cups of halved green beans.

  • Add 3-4 Tbsp of butter.

    • Stir in one Tbsp of butter at a time and make sure it is melted before you add another Tbsp.

  • Cook 2 minutes before you remove the pot from the heat.

  • Season the mixture with some salt, pepper, and 2 Tbsp of lemon juice.

  • Add back the 2lbs of mussels and stir to combine.

• Eat!

  • Serve with some crusty bread to soak up that broth!