Quick And Easy Mediterranean Mussels With White Wine

Imagine sitting at a beach restaurant in a warm Mediterranean country, facing the sunset, while the sea and the sky turn baby pink. Your waiter brings a plate of steaming mussels with white wine. 

Steamed mussels with white wine are a staple recipe in Spanish and many other Mediterranean cuisines. But now, you can teleport yourself to a sunny beach on the Spanish coast at your own home. 

Cooking mussels with white wine is one of the easiest and quickest recipes you can try at home. I know it might seem different, but most seafood recipes are actually quite basic. And while you would pay big bucks at a restaurant for this plate, making mussels with white wine yourself is pretty cheap. 

The price depends on how much mussels cost in your country, but usually, they’re pretty affordable and accessible. The recipe takes around 15 minutes to prepare and make. So, let’s see how you can prepare steamed mussels with white wine at home.

Jump to the recipe:

Cooking mussels with white wine: step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Clean the mussels

Okay, so the length of this recipe depends on the mussels you buy. If you buy uncleaned fresh mussels straight from the sea, you might need to prepare a few hours or even overnight before cooking them. Fresh mussels oftentimes have sand and other debris inside of them as they filter water for food. For you not to break your teeth while enjoying this recipe, you must get rid of as much sand as possible. 

To do that, submerge the mussels in cold water with a generous amount of salt. Keep it in the fridge for a few hours. Replace the water every hour or so to get rid of the sand. 

As you can see in my recipe, I was lucky to get cleaned mussels. But usually, they come with barnacles and other leftovers from the sea attached. Before cooking mussels with white wine, clean the barnacles and cut the green threads, which are mussel gills.

Step 2: Prepare other ingredients

While your mussels are taking a bath, chop onion, garlic, and parsley. Make sure to cut them as thinly as possible, because the cooking process is very quick, so the veggies won’t soften too much. I don’t know about you, but I dislike a chunky piece of onion on my mussel.

Step 3: Sauté the onion and garlic

Take a large saucepan. The bigger the better, because mussels take up a lot of space, and you want them to get some of that wine sauce. 

Pour a generous amount of olive oil. When it starts heating up, add onion, garlic, and a rosemary sprig. Let them cook until fragrant for 2-3 minutes. 

Then add chopped parsley and pour in the wine. Let the alcohol evaporate for 3-5 minutes, then pour in the fish stock. I used a fish stock cube mixed with water for a more intense flavor, but it’s up to you.

You might also like bacon-wrapped shrimp skewers

Step 4: Add the mussels

When the broth begins to simmer, add the mussels and the bay leaf. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Close the lid and let everything steam for about 5 minutes until all the mussels open up. Be careful with the timing because seafood like mussels can overcook very quickly.

If one or two mussels don’t open up, discard them because this means they’re spoiled. 

And that’s it. Skanaus!

Recipe: mussels with white wine

What to serve with mussels in white wine sauce?

Mussels in white wine sauce go very well with freshly toasted bread. You can dip the bread in the sauce and enjoy all the sea flavors and incredible aroma.

Are you looking for another easy recipe? Try this tuna quiche!

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