Live mussels, scrubbed and debearded, steamed in dry red wine with shallots, garlic and herbs. Before cooking, throw away any with cracked shells or any that stay open when tapped. A quick one-pot dish served with crusty bread.
1kg
15g
40g
1tbsp
3piece
4clove
200ml
2piece
4sprig
0.5tsp
2slice| # | Product | Quantity | Notes | State | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 1kg | — | — | |
| 2 | | 15g | — | — | |
| 3 | | 40g | — | — | |
| 4 | | 1tbsp | — | — | |
| 5 | | 3piece | — | — | |
| 6 | | 4clove | — | — | |
| 7 | | 200ml | — | — | |
| 8 | | 2piece | — | — | |
| 9 | | 4sprig | — | — | |
| 10 | | 0.5tsp | — | — | |
| 11 | | 2slice | — | — |
Tip the mussels into a colander and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water, scrubbing away any grit or barnacles and pulling off any beards.
Mussels · 1 kg
Tap any open mussels sharply on the side of the colander and discard any that do not close, as well as any with cracked or broken shells.
Gather the parsley into a tight bunch and chop it finely with a rocking motion until you have a bright, even pile of fine pieces.
Flat-leaf parsley · 15 g
Scrape the chopped parsley into a small bowl and set it aside for finishing.
Trim the root and tip from each shallot and peel away the papery outer skin.
Shallots · 3 pieceCrush each garlic clove lightly with the flat of the knife to loosen the skin, then peel it away.
Garlic · 4 cloveSlice the peeled garlic cloves thinly lengthways into fine slivers.
Add the butter to a large deep pan.
Unsalted butter · 40 g
Pour the olive oil into the pan with the butter.
Light olive oil · 1 tbspSet the pan over a medium heat and let the butter melt and begin to foam, swirling the pan once or twice to combine it with the oil.
Tip the sliced shallots into the foaming butter and oil.
Stir the shallots frequently and cook them over a medium heat until they are soft, translucent and beginning to turn golden at the edges.
Scatter the sliced garlic into the pan with the softened shallots.
Stir and cook the garlic with the shallots for about a minute until the garlic is fragrant and just softened but not browned.
Pour the dry red wine into the pan with the fragrant garlic base.
Dry red wine · 200 mlDrop the bay leaves into the pan.
Bay leaves · 2 pieceAdd the fresh thyme sprigs to the pan.
Fresh thyme · 4 sprigBring the wine up to a simmer and let it bubble for a couple of minutes to soften its sharpness and concentrate the flavours slightly.
Tip the cleaned mussels into the reduced wine broth.
Clap the lid firmly on the pan.
Cook the covered mussels over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells have opened wide and the mussels are cooked through.
Discard any mussels that have not opened during cooking — do not try to force them.
Sprinkle the ground black pepper over the mussels and broth and stir gently to combine.
Ground black pepper · 0.5 tspLadle the mussels and all of the red wine broth into a warmed serving bowl.
Scatter the chopped parsley evenly over the mussels and broth.
Cut the crusty bread into thick slices for serving.
Crusty bread · 2 slice
Tuck the slices of crusty bread alongside the mussels for mopping up the broth.
| # | Product | Tool | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 kg | | Tip the mussels into a colander and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water, scrubbing away any grit or barnacles and pulling off any beards.⏱ 5 minResultRinsed mussels |
| 2 | — | | Tap any open mussels sharply on the side of the colander and discard any that do not close, as well as any with cracked or broken shells.⏱ 1 minResultCleaned musselsused in step 20 |
| 3 | 15 g | | Gather the parsley into a tight bunch and chop it finely with a rocking motion until you have a bright, even pile of fine pieces.⏱ 2 minResultChopped parsley |
| 4 | Chopped parsleystep 3 | | Scrape the chopped parsley into a small bowl and set it aside for finishing.⏱ 10sResultChopped parsleyused in step 26 |
| 5 | 3 piece | | Trim the root and tip from each shallot and peel away the papery outer skin.⏱ 30sResultPeeled Shallots |
| 6 | Peeled Shallotsstep 5 | | Slice the peeled shallots thinly into even rings.⏱ 2 minResultSliced shallotsused in step 12 |
| 7 | 4 clove | | Crush each garlic clove lightly with the flat of the knife to loosen the skin, then peel it away.⏱ 20sResultPeeled garlic clove |
| 8 | Peeled garlic clovestep 7 | | Slice the peeled garlic cloves thinly lengthways into fine slivers.⏱ 1 minResultSliced garlicused in step 14 |
| 9 | 40 g | | Add the butter to a large deep pan.⏱ 10sResultUnsalted butter |
| 10 | 1 tbsp | | Pour the olive oil into the pan with the butter.⏱ 10sResultUnsalted butter and light olive oil |
| 11 | — | | Set the pan over a medium heat and let the butter melt and begin to foam, swirling the pan once or twice to combine it with the oil.⏱ 2 minResultFoaming butter and oil |
| 12 | Sliced shallotsstep 6 | | Tip the sliced shallots into the foaming butter and oil.⏱ 10sResultSliced shallots and foaming butter and oil |
| 13 | — | | Stir the shallots frequently and cook them over a medium heat until they are soft, translucent and beginning to turn golden at the edges.⏱ 5 minResultSoftened shallots |
| 14 | Sliced garlicstep 8 | | Scatter the sliced garlic into the pan with the softened shallots.⏱ 10sResultSliced garlic and softened shallots |
| 15 | — | | Stir and cook the garlic with the shallots for about a minute until the garlic is fragrant and just softened but not browned.⏱ 1 minResultFragrant garlic base |
| 16 | 200 ml | | Pour the dry red wine into the pan with the fragrant garlic base.⏱ 15sResultFragrant garlic base and dry red wine |
| 17 | 2 piece | | Drop the bay leaves into the pan.⏱ 10sResultFragrant garlic base and dry red wine and bay leaves |
| 18 | 4 sprig | | Add the fresh thyme sprigs to the pan.⏱ 10sResultFragrant garlic base and dry red wine mixture |
| 19 | — | | Bring the wine up to a simmer and let it bubble for a couple of minutes to soften its sharpness and concentrate the flavours slightly.⏱ 2 minResultReduced wine broth |
| 20 | Cleaned musselsstep 2 | | Tip the cleaned mussels into the reduced wine broth.⏱ 15sResultReduced wine broth and cleaned mussels |
| 21 | — | | Clap the lid firmly on the pan.⏱ 10s |
| 22 | — | | Cook the covered mussels over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells have opened wide and the mussels are cooked through.⏱ 5 minResultSteamed mussels with red wine broth |
| 23 | — | | Discard any mussels that have not opened during cooking — do not try to force them.⏱ 1 minResultOpened cooked mussels |
| 24 | 0.5 tsp | | Sprinkle the ground black pepper over the mussels and broth and stir gently to combine.⏱ 20sResultSeasoned mussels and broth |
| 25 | Seasoned mussels and brothstep 24 | | Ladle the mussels and all of the red wine broth into a warmed serving bowl.⏱ 1 minResultSeasoned mussels and broth |
| 26 | Chopped parsleystep 4 | | Scatter the chopped parsley evenly over the mussels and broth.⏱ 20sResultGarnished mussels and broth |
| 27 | 2 slice | | Cut the crusty bread into thick slices for serving.⏱ 20sResultSliced crusty bread |
| 28 | Sliced crusty breadstep 27 | | Tuck the slices of crusty bread alongside the mussels for mopping up the broth.⏱ 10sResultBelgian-Style Red Wine Mussels |
| Total Time | 26 min | ||
| Nutrient | per serving |
|---|---|
| 779kcal | |
| 54g | |
| 34g | |
| 14g | |
| 45g | |
| 7g | |
| 3g | |
| 1,623mg |
Live mussels, scrubbed and debearded, steamed in dry red wine with shallots, garlic and herbs. Before cooking, throw away any with cracked shells or any that stay open when tapped. A quick one-pot dish served with crusty bread.
What you’ll doYou will clean and sort the mussels, discarding any that fail to close when tapped, then build a fragrant base of shallots and garlic in butter and oil before deglazing with red wine and simmering it briefly. The cleaned mussels go in under a tight lid over medium-high heat for around five minutes, during which you will shake the pan occasionally. The finished dish is ladled straight into a warmed bowl, scattered with parsley, and served with crusty bread for the broth.
