Recipes

5 Delicious Mussel Recipes You Will Love

Mussels. What's not to love? They are delicious and good for you being high in iron, and B12 among other things. I love mussels and always have. I love them so much in fact that I almost caught myself on fire trying to get them. We will get to that in a few minutes. The point is that today I am going to share with you five delicious mussel recipes that I am confident you are going to love. Let's take a look.


Thai Coconut Red Curry Mussels

The first mussel recipe is for Thai Coconut Red Curry mussels. If you have never had mussels done this way, you should try it. The natural sweetness of the mussels pairs perfectly with the complex flavours and mild heat of curry paste. To make these mussels, you will need red curry paste, which you can find at most grocery stores in the sauce or international food aisle. You can always make red curry paste at home too.

Making these mussels is a simple as sautéeing one teaspoon each of ginger and garlic in olive oil for about a minute. Toss one pound of mussels into the pan along with two tablespoons of red curry paste and a half cup of full-fat coconut milk. Boil the coconut milk, put a lid on the pan and cook the mussels for three to four minutes or until they are all opened. Scoop the mussels out of the pan, keep cooking the sauce until it is the thickness of gravy, then it pour over the mussels. Garnish the dish with a few fresh cilantro leaves and lime juice.

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Thai Red Curry Mussels

Thai Red Curry, Coconut Milk, Fresh Cilantro, and Mussels, what could be better than that?
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Thai
Keyword Coconut Milk, Mussels, Seafood, Thai Red Curry
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Author Chef's Notes

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Grated Ginger
  • 1 lb Mussels
  • 2 tablespoon Thai Red Curry Paste
  • ½ cup Coconut Milk
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 5 Cilantro Leaves for garnish
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions

  • Heat a medium-sized frying pan over medium-high heat. Add in the olive oil, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 1 minute.
  • Add the mussels into the pan and sauté for another minute before adding in the curry paste and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, put a lid on the pan, turn the heat down to medium and cook the mussels for 3-4 minutes or until they are all open.
  • Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

White Wine and Garlic Mussels

I don't know that there is a more classic way to eat mussels then to have them cooked in white wine and garlic. I'm also not sure there is a more delicious way to eat them. To make these mussels used two tablespoons of garlic butter, put into a hot pan. I tossed in one pound of mussels, about a quarter cup of white wine, and a touch of salt and pepper. I put a lid on the pan and let the mussels steam for three to four minutes or until all of the shells open.

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White Wine and Garlic Mussels

How to make Classic White Wine and Garlic Mussels
Course Appetizer
Cuisine French
Keyword Mussel Recipes, Seafood, White Wine and Garlic
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Author Chef's Notes

Ingredients

Garlic Butter

  • ¼ c Softened Butter
  • 1 tbps Minced Garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Chopped Parsley

White wine and Garlic Mussels

  • 2 tablespoon Garlic Butter
  • ¼ c White Wine
  • 1 lb Mussels
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Garlic Butter

  • Combine the butter with the garlic and parsley. Mix well.

White Wine and Garlic Mussels

  • Heat a medium-sized frying pan over medium-high heat. Add in the butter and wait until it starts to foam.
  • Add the mussels into the pan along with a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté for 1 minute.
  • Add the wine into the pan, put a lid on it and steam the mussels for 3-4 minutes or until they are all opened.
  • Serve with garlic bread.

Homemade Smoked Mussels

Where there's smoke, there's fire.

When I was very small, younger than three, my mother had some friends over for wine and cheese. They also happened to be eating a can of some mussels. I begged and begged my mom until she let me have one of the smokey, oily, mollusks. After repeatedly telling me that I wouldn't like them, she caved and let me try them. I loved them so much that I stole the can. A few weeks later, my mom woke up at five in the morning to me, screaming. I was standing on the stove, trying to reach the smoked mussels stored in the cupboard above it. I had kicked on a burner or two. My feet were getting hot, and my pyjamas were starting to smoke. My mom stopped storing the mussels above the stove after that. My love of those canned smoked mussels has never diminished. They are still one of my favourite treats, especially when combined with cream cheese, and a Breton cracker. Has food ever made you do anything crazy? Tell me about it in the comments section below.

I've wanted to make smoked mussels ever since I got my smoker back in April. However, the seafood counter at my local grocery store had was shut down for months due to lockdown. But, they are open now, and it seemed like the perfect time to try my hand and to make homemade smoked mussels.

If at first, you don't succeed, try smoking more mussels.

I made two attempts at making smoked mussels. The first attempt did not work; I'll explain it. I didn't totally think through what would happen to the mussels in the dry, smoky heat. Basically, the fresh mussels dehydrated, leaving little to eat. I did use a water pan in the smoker, but it didn't really help. To fix the issue of the mussels drying up, I cooked them before smoking, which worked a lot better.

To cook the mussels, you first have to make something called court bouillon, which is a flavourful poaching liquid for fish. Court Bouillon is made with water, white wine, and flavourings. You can see the recipe below. Gently simmer the mussels in the court bouillon, just until they opened, then smoke them on 275°f for thirty minutes using mesquite wood chips. Once the mussels are smoked, take them out of their shells, put them in a glass container, and top them with a neutral flavoured oil like Sunflower oil. I made the mistake of using olive oil, which overpowered the flavour of the smoke and the mussels. They were still very delicious, though. I will be making these again.

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Homemade Smoked Mussels

Mussels lightly poached then smoked with mesquite. Delicious,
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword Mussel Recipes, Mussels, Smoked, Smoking
Total Time 1 day 45 minutes
Servings 24 mussels
Author Chef's Notes

Ingredients

Court Bouillon

  • 1 L Water
  • 1 cup White Wine
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 12 Peppercorns
  • ½ cup Sliced Onion
  • ¼ cup Sliced Celery
  • 2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 2-3 Sprigs of Parsley

Smoked Mussels

  • 1 lb Mussels
  • ½ cup Sunflower Seed Oil

Instructions

Court Bouillon

  • Boil for 5 minutes then strain.

Smoked Mussels

  • Gently simmer the mussels in court bouillon for about 10 minutes or until all of the mussels are open.
  • Remove the mussels from the court bouillon and smoke them with mesquite wood chips on 275°f for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the mussels from their shells, and put them in a glass container and cover with the oil.
  • But the mussels in the fridge for 24 hours before serving.

Tomato Basil Mussels

Growing up, whenever we had mussels, they were cooked with white wine and garlic and served with garlic butter for dipping. It wasn't until I was in my early twenties, and cooking professionally that I experienced a different way to eat mussels. That first departure from the mussels I knew, was to have them cooked in a simple tomato and basil marinara sauce. Not only are these mussels exceptionally delicious, but they also opened my eyes to the fact that mussels didn't have to be cooked the way I'd always had them. There was a whole new world of possibilities.

To make these mussels first heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add in a tablespoon of olive oil along with a teaspoon or two of chopped garlic. Cook the garlic until it is just starting to brown then deglaze the pan with a quarter cup of white wine. Cook the wine for about a minute then toss in the mussels and tomato purée, basil, salt and pepper. Put a lid on the pan and simmer the mussels for about three to four minutes or until they are all opened. I like to garnish these mussels with garlic breadcrumbs for a little texture.

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Tomato Basil Mussels

A simple yet classic mussel recipe.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Mussel Recipes, Mussels, Tomato Basil
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1 Serving
Author Chef's Notes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Garlic Butter
  • 2 tablespoon Bread Crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon Chopped Garlic
  • 1 lb Mussels
  • ¼ cup White Wine
  • ½ cup Tomato Puré
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Basil
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Instructions

  • Melt the garlic butter and combine with the bread crumbs and set aside.
  • Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add in the olive oil and garlic. Cook the garlic until lightly browned then add in the mussels and cook for another minute.
  • Add the wine into the pan and cook for another minute or two or until the wine has mostly evaporated.
  • Add the tomato, basil, and salt and pepper into the pan, put a lid on it and simmer for 5 minutes or until all the mussels have opened.
  • Serve the mussels and garnish with the garlic bread crumbs.

Broiled Garlic and Parmesan Mussels

Are you throwing a 1970's themed dinner party? Boy, do I have the thing for you. Okay, so yes, these mussels are a little old school, but that doesn't change their tasty level. The last of the five mussel recipes in this post are garlic and parmesan mussels, which are made in two steps. The first step, like with the smoked mussels, is to poach them in court bouillon. Once cooked, cool the mussels in the fridge. Split the shells in half and discard the tops. Loosen the mussel from the shell and top with garlic, parmesan bread crumbs. Broil the mussels for three to four minutes or until the breadcrumbs are browned. Old school? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely.

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Broiled Garlic & Parmesan Mussels

The perfect mussel dish for a dinner party or pot luck.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Dinner Parties, Mussel Recipes, Mussels
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 24 mussles
Author Chef's Notes

Ingredients

Court Bouillon Recipe

  • 1 L Water
  • 1 cup White Wine
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 12 Peppercorns
  • ½ cup Sliced Onion
  • ¼ cup Sliced Celery
  • 2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 2-3 Sprigs of Parsley

Garlic & Parmesan Breadcrumbs

  • 2 tbsp Garlic Butter
  • ¼ cups Breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoon Parmesan

Mussels

  • 24 Mussles
  • 1 batch Court Bouillon
  • 1 batch Garlic and Parmesan Breadcrumbs

Instructions

Court Bouillon Recipe

  • Combine all the ingredients in a medium-sized pot. Boil for 5 minutes then strain and discard the solids, saving the liquid.

Garlic & Parmesan Breadcrumbs

  • Melt the garlic butter and mix in the breadcrumbs and parmesan.

Garlic Parmesan Mussels

  • Poach the mussels in gently simmering court bouillon for 7-10 minutes or until all of the mussels have opened.
  • Remove the mussels from the liquid, and cool in the fridge for an hour.
  • Break the mussel shells in half and throw away the top shell.
  • Loosen the mussel from the bottom shell, and cover loosely with the breadcrumbs. Repeat this until all of the mussels have been covered.
  • Place the mussels on an oven-safe pan and broil on high heat for 2-3 minutes or just long enough to brown the breadcrumbs.
  • Serve the mussels hot.

Conclusion

These five mussel recipes are my five all-time favourites. I hope that when you try these, you find a new favourite for yourself. Do you have an excellent mussel recipe that you want to share? Tell me about it in the comments because I would love to hear about it.

Thank you for reading the post. If you liked it, remember to share it on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.

Chef Ben Kelly

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