Tender mussels steamed in a creamy garlic and white wine sauce, served with a generous side of crusty artisan bread. Such a fancy and luxurious meal, you won’t believe how quick and easy it is to make!
It is hard not to be impressed with a pot of mussels waiting in the middle of the dining table for friends and family to tuck into. Mussels in a white wine cream sauce may seem intimidating to make, but trust me, this is one of the easiest dinner recipes. All you need are mussels, a few simple ingredients, and 25 minutes!
This dish of mussels in white wine sauce is rich, flavourful, and so addictive! It is perfect served with some freshly baked crusty bread to mop up all the sauce. You and your guests will be thinking of this dish for awhile longer!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE
For the Creamy Garlic White Wine Sauce
Butter Preferably unsalted, so you can control the amount of salt added to the dish. However, if you only have salted butter at home, you can use that too – just make sure to taste the sauce before adding any additional salt!
Yellow onion Roughly diced
Garlic Minced
Lemon
Dry white wine
Heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
Dried parsley I made this recipe with dried parsley because that is what I always have in my pantry. If you have fresh parsley (any kind), use 1/4 cup of that instead!
Other Ingredients
Mussels Either fresh, vacuumed packed, or frozen. If using fresh mussels, make sure you scrub and remove the beard from them before cooking. Find more information about mussels below under our FAQs.
Fresh parsley Optional, to garnish.
Crusty bread Thick slices, buttered and toasted.
HOW TO MAKE MUSSELS IN CREAMY WHITE WINE GARLIC SAUCE
In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add in onion and garlic, saute until softened but not browned. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the pot.
Increase the heat to high and add the white wine and mussels. Cover the pot with the lid to let the mussels steam for about 5 minutes, or until most of them open.
Bring the heat down to low and allow the white wine to reduce by at least half.
Add in the heavy cream, salt, pepper, and dried parsley. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir the mussels around a little to evenly mix in the newly added ingredients. Continue to allow the sauce to simmer for another 2-3 minutes, or until all the mussels open. Remove and discard of any mussels that do not open.
Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with some freshly toasted and buttered bread.
PRO TIPS
Prevent curdled sauce
Allow the white wine to reduce by at least half before adding the cream. This will prevent the sauce from curdling. As a bonus, this reduction will also improve the flavour of the sauce!
Cooking mussels
The mussels should open up while cooking. However, you may get a few that do not open. Discard these mussels that refuse to open as they are not fresh and safe for consumption. Do not try to force these mussels open. Additionally, before cooking, discard any mussels that are opened or damaged – they are also not safe to be eaten.
Add some chili
If you like a little spice to your food, when adding the parsley, you can also add a couple of bird’s eye chili (thinly sliced) to the sauce.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What kind of mussels should I use?
There are different kinds of mussels out there. Any kind of mussels will work in this recipe. You can use whatever kind of mussels you can get locally. These will be the easiest to find and generally the most affordable option.
Regardless of the type of mussels you end up using, mussels are sold in different forms. You can buy mussels fresh, vacuum packed, or frozen. All these options will work for this recipe, the only difference is how you prepare them before cooking. You can find more information about the appropriate preparations below.
How to clean fresh mussels?
If you are using vacuum packed or frozen mussels, they would most likely be bearded and scrubbed already. In this case, simply rinse the mussels under some cold water, and they are ready to be cooked!
However, if you are getting your whole fresh mussels from a fishmonger, you will need to clean them properly before cooking them. These mussels will most likely be alive. To check if they are alive, gently tap them on the counter and see if they close. If they don’t, discard them as they are dead and no longer fresh.
To clean fresh mussels, firstly rinse them under some cold water. Next, remove the beard (fibres that can be found between the shells) by holding the mussel in one hand and use the other hand to firmly pull the beard out. Then, use a clean metal kitchen scrub or brush to scrub the shells until they no longer feel sandy. Finally, give them a final rinse under cold water before cooking them.
Whether you are using fresh, vacuum packed, or frozen mussels, discard of any mussels that have not opened up by themselves during the cooking process. These mussels should not be eaten.
Can I use frozen mussels in this recipe?
Yes, you can use frozen mussels in this recipe. However, make sure the mussels are completely thawed before cooking. Cook the defrosted mussels as you would for fresh mussels, cook them until they are opened. Discard any mussels that refuse to open, as they aren’t safe to be eaten.
What is the best wine to use in white wine sauce?
Use a crisp and dry white wine to make your white wine sauce. You can use Sauvignon Blanc, Pino Grigio, or Chardonnay.
As this recipe only calls for one cup of wine, you will have extra. Enjoy a glass of white wine while cooking or serve it with the meal!
What bread goes well with mussels in white wine sauce?
Any crusty bread will be perfect to mop up the delicious white wine sauce. My favourite breads to serve with this dish are sourdough bread or the classic baguette. Warm the bread in the oven for a few minutes before serving to freshen it up.
Some Serving Suggestions
The most common way to serve mussels in white wine sauce is with a side of crusty bread. However, this is not the only way. Apart from bread, you can serve white wine mussels with some French fries, wedges, or garlic bread.
You may also want to serve your mussels with a fresh salad too. The salad will add some freshness to balance out the richness of the creamy white wine sauce.
If you do not feel like dipping bread or fries into the sauce, you can also make a pasta dish from this mussel recipe. Simply add in some cooked spaghetti or linguine to the pot once all the mussels have cooked, and serve.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE…
- Salmon Crudo
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Pangrattato Topping
- Homemade Pizza Dough
- White Mushroom Pizza
- Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne
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Mussels in Creamy White Wine Sauce
Ingredients
Creamy Garlic White Wince Sauce
- 4 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1 8 oz yellow onion roughly diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
Other ingredients
- 4 1/2 lb mussels scrubbed and bread removed
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley optional, to garnish
- thick slices of bread buttered and toasted
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add in onion and garlic, saute until softened but not browned. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the pot.
- Increase the heat to high and add the white wine and mussels. Cover the pot with the lid to let the mussels steam for about 5 minutes, or until most of them open.
- Bring the heat down to low and allow the white wine to reduce by at least half.
- Add in the heavy cream, salt, pepper, and dried parsley. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir the mussels around a little to evenly mix in the newly added ingredients. Continue to allow the sauce to simmer for another 2-3 minutes, or until all the mussels open. Remove any mussels that do not open.
- Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with some freshly toasted and buttered bread.
