Floating in creamy wine sauce and studded with caramelized fennel, shallots and garlic, the sweetest Green Mussels Recipe you'll ever taste is just a few minutes away.
For me, mussels have always been about the sauce. The seafood was merely a vehicle for whatever delicious sauce they were floating in. Until New Zealand Green Mussels hit my culinary radar.
The flavor is remarkable. They are sweeter and more tender than their near cousins, with a milder, less briny flavor. And these half-shell mussels are so much larger than black mussels, the eating experience is surprisingly luxurious.
This recipe works for any kind of mussel, but give these gorgeous green mussels a try!
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Mussels: New Zealand Mussels, or greenshell mussels, are larger than the typical black mussels we're used to seeing in grocery stores and restaurants. Outside of New Zealand (where they sell them fresh), these beauties are usually sold cooked and frozen on the half shell. If you can't find green mussels, black mussels will work beautifully.
White wine: if you don't have wine or prefer to cook alcohol free, substitute a bit more broth with a bit of lemon juice for acidity.
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
How to Make Mussels with Wine
1. Sauté fennel
To begin, clean and slice your fennel, shallots and garlic. I find that fennel looks best when it is halved through the core, then quartered, and sliced.
Next, heat the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add thinly sliced fennel and a pinch of salt.
2. Build flavor with shallots and garlic
Sauté until the sliced fennel begins to caramelize - about 10 minutes. (Leave the fennel undisturbed to accelerate the process. Frequent stirring keeps the veggies from browning) When the fennel starts browning, add the shallots, which will only take a few minutes to cook through.
Add the sliced garlic cloves. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add wine and stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer the broth for about 5-6 minutes, until it has reduced by about half.
3. Cook green mussels
Lower heat back to medium and add the heavy cream and cooked green mussels. Cover the pot and let the mussels heat through - about 3-5 minutes. (Remember that these mussels are already blanched, so the cooking process is just a matter of reheating them in the flavorful broth.)
4. Garnish and serve
Garnish creamy mussels with diced fresh parsley. Serve with lemons, grilled crusty bread and fries.
Need more delicious shellfish recipes?
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
Absolutely. Black mussels are usually sold in a full shell and uncooked, so be sure to cook them in the broth until the shells open, indicating the mussels are fully cooked. If any shells remain closed, those mussels should be discarded.
Frozen mussels work beautifully in this recipe - just thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before using. I prefer not to soak frozen mussels in water to accelerate the defrosting, because I want to save any natural liquid in the mussels to add a briny flavor to the final dish.
Fennel adds a unique flavor to this dish - if you don't have any, using extra shallots works in its place, although the flavor profile will be more muted.
I'm obsessed with these Parmesan Cheese Truffle Fries as the perfect partner for this simple recipe. Grilled bread is a non-negotiable, as this brothy mussels recipe is begging for a carby partner. For vegetable sides, a simple Mediterranean Tossed Salad or Fresh Gazpacho Salad would be perfect.
To store, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
Green Mussels with White Wine, Fennel and Shallots
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 1x
Description
Simple and delicious mussels recipe with garlic, fennel and shallots in a creamy white wine sauce. This one is quick and easy but tastes restaurant-level fantastic.
Ingredients
2 pounds green mussels (substitute black mussels)
1 cup seafood stock or clam juice
1 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced thin (about 1 cup)
2 shallots, sliced thin
6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
¼ cup heavy cream
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat butter in a large pot of pan (with a tight fitting lid) over medium heat. Add thinly sliced fennel and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the vegetable begins to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
- When the fennel starts browning, add the shallots, which will only take a few minutes to cook through. Add the sliced garlic cloves. Sauté for 2 minutes. Increase burner to medium-high and add wine and stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Simmer the broth for 5-6 minutes, until it has reduced by half. Reduce heat back to medium and add the heavy cream and cooked green mussels.
- Cover the pot and let the mussels heat through - about 3-5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh diced parsley. Serve with lemons, grilled baguette and fries.
Notes
Substitute black mussels for New Zealand Green Mussels, if necessary. Black mussels are usually sold in a full shell and uncooked, so be sure to cook them in the broth until the shells open, indicating the mussels are fully cooked. If any shells remain closed, those mussels should be discarded.
Leave the fennel undisturbed to accelerate the process. Frequent stirring keeps the veggies from browning!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: French
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