Moules Marinière
Moules Marinière is a famous French mussel recipe. With cream, garlic, and parsley plus a splash of white wine, it brings a taste of France into your table! Cook yourself this restaurant-style dish in a few simple steps.
There is a restaurant in Champs Elysee we go to where they serve this with fries. At first, I find it bizarre to have french fries with mussels, but it really works. There is a similar way of cooking mussels (tahong) in the Philippines. The difference is in the Philippines we use ginger and it’s soupier. Both recipes are delicious and have a unique taste to offer. This French mussel recipe is made with fresh, inexpensive ingredients yet looks fantastic, this dish comes together in around 15 minutes from start to finish.
This mussel recipe really goes well with anything in my personal opinion. I Tried it with bread and rice and really enjoyed it. It helps that mussels cook quickly and adding their own briny liquid to form a uniquely savory sauce that is ideal for dipping bread into. Removing the mussels immediately after cooking and finishing the sauce with crème fraîche, we can create a rich, creamy, emulsified sauce without overcooking the mussels. A great dinner idea that I highly recommend!
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Tips for Moules Marinière
- Check mussels before using them. If they’re gritty or have lots of beards (it’ll look like bits of hair coming out from between their shells), scrub them well under cold water and pull out the beards by grabbing them and pulling them towards the hinge-end of the mussels.
- You can also use frozen mussels if you can’t find any fresh ones.
Moules Marinière
Ingredients
- 1 kilo moules / mussels (fresh or frozen)
- 1 medium onion (sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped (fresh or dried)
- 2 pcs. bay leaves ( crushed)
- 3 tbsp butter
- ½ dry white wine
- 2 tbsp double cream/crème fraîche (optional)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the mussels under cold, running water. Discard any open ones that won't close when lightly squeezed. Pull out the tough, fibrous beards protruding from between the tightly closed shells and then knock off any barnacles with a large knife. Give the mussels another quick rinse to remove any little pieces of shell.
- Melt butter in a large casserole or cooking pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Put the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir and let sit for a couple of seconds.
- Add the mussels and toss lightly with the herbs until coated. Pour in the dry white wine and stir. Cover and increase heat to high, cook for 6 to 10 minutes. As soon as all the mussels are open, transfer mussels to a bowl using tongs.
- Add double cream/crème fraîche (if using). Stir and let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the sauce into the bowl where the mussels are and add more parsley and some lemon juice if you fancy. Serve and enjoy. Bon Appetit!
