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Brian Lagerstrom

White Wine Steamed Mussels with Garlic Baguette

Plump, brine-soaked mussels steamed open in a garlicky white wine broth finished with cold butter and parsley. It tastes like a seafood restaurant entrée but comes together in minutes with a crusty baguette for mopping up the broth.

⏱ 60 min1 as an entrée or 2 as an appetizerFrenchmusselsseafoodwhite wineshellfishquick dinner

Ingredients

For the Mussel Soak

  • 1500 gwater · about 6.5 cups
  • 500 gice · 3–4 cups
  • 60 gkosher salt · about 1/4 cup
  • 450 gmussels · about 1 lb; black mussels

For the Broth

  • 3 tbspolive oil
  • 30 gshallot · about 1 large, finely chopped (brunoise)
  • 30 ggarlic · about 6–7 cloves, pressed or minced
  • —chili flake · a pinch
  • —fresh cracked black pepper · about 4 cranks
  • 15 gtomato paste · about 1 tbsp
  • 100 gdry white wine · scant 1/2 cup; Sauvignon Blanc, unoaked Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio
  • 60 gbutter · about 4 tbsp, cold, cut into pieces
  • 10 gparsley · about 1/4 cup, chopped
  • —kosher salt · to taste, plus a strong pinch for the aromatics

For Serving

  • —crusty baguette

Steps

  1. 1

    Stir the water, ice, and salt together in a large container until the salt is fully dissolved.

  2. 2

    Add the mussels to the brine and refrigerate for 30 minutes to purge grit and season them.

  3. 3

    Wipe each mussel with a paper towel to remove any detritus, scrubbing with steel wool and rinsing if they are especially gritty. Pull the beard from the flat side of each shell toward the hinge to remove it.

  4. 4

    Discard any mussels that won't close when squeezed or agitated, as well as any with cracked or broken shells. Refrigerate the cleaned mussels until ready to cook.

  5. 5

    Bake the baguette in a 425–450°F oven until crisp so it's ready when the mussels are.

  6. 6

    Set out all your ingredients before cooking — this dish moves fast. Preheat a saucier over medium heat.

  7. 7

    Add the olive oil, then the shallot and garlic with a strong pinch of salt. Sweat for about 5 minutes over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, without developing any color; add a splash of water to cool the pan if it starts to get too hot.

  8. 8

    Add the chili flake and black pepper and bloom for about 30 seconds to 2 minutes in the oil.

  9. 9

    Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes to deepen its flavor, stopping before it caramelizes.

  10. 10

    Deglaze with the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan, and bring to a hard boil.

  11. 11

    Add the mussels, cover, and steam about 3 minutes until the shells open. Discard any that stay shut.

  12. 12

    Stir in the cold butter a few pieces at a time, swirling until it emulsifies into a silky broth.

  13. 13

    Stir in the chopped parsley, taste and adjust the salt, and serve immediately with the crusty baguette.

Creator's notes

Buy mussels from a fishmonger or a busy seafood counter — they should smell like clean, briny ocean. Overshoot by a few mussels per pound since two or three per batch usually need to be discarded. Use a saucier for 1–2 lb of mussels; for 3 lb (serving 4–6), scale the recipe 3x and use a 5–7 quart Dutch oven. Avoid sweet or heavily oaked wines — they overwhelm the delicate briny flavor.

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