MUSSELS IN GARLIC SAUCE

This MUSSELS IN GARLIC SAUCE dish tastes and looks like a journey to a popular Belgian or French seafood restaurant but it's surprisingly easy to make. Excellent as an appetizer or a meal, naturally, mussels are one of my favorite dishes to serve when entertaining. It's a year-round family favorite and even my kids lick the last drop of this rich and mouthwatering sauce off the plate.

Mussels are light yet flavorful and easy to prepare. They can be flavored with a variety of vegetables, spices, wines, beers, and sauces. To avoid becoming ill from eating them, it's important to know how to clean mussels properly. You should discard the mussel if the shell is open before cooking and remains open even after you touch it or gently tap on it. You should also throw away the mussel if the shell doesn't open when you cook it, it means the mussel was dead before you cooked it.

Depending on the type of mussel, the season, and how the mussels were farmed, the shell accounts for about 20 to 50% of the weight of a bag of mussels. So you will need about half a pound of mussels with shells per person for a meal-sized portion. Cut the recipe in half if you're serving this as an appetizer.

Wild mussels can be clogged with sand and debris while farm-raised mussels are relatively clean but still need a rinse under COLD water.

Place the mussels in a colander in the sink and run cold water over them. Remove any any debris, like sand, seaweed or muddy spots that could be on the shell. Remove the "beard" of the mussels (clump of hair-like fibers that sprouts from the shell) by either using a knife to scrape it or gripping it and pulling toward the hinge of the mussel shell.

Mussels have an impressive nutritional profile. Rich in zinc, folate and selenium, iodine and iron, omega-3 fatty acids and protein they make an excellent addition to a family meal rotation plan.

Your fork is waiting! Bon appetite!

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Keyword: appetizer or entree, appetizer or meal, family meal, how to clean a mussel, meal for entertaining, mussels in garlic sauce, mussels in white wine garlic coconut milk sauce, nutritious seafood dinner, seafood dinner

Servings: servings

Calories: 517kcal

Ingredients

2 lbs mussels
1 TBSP ghee or butter
2 onions peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp chili flakes
5 cloves garlic grated
1 cup white wine substitute with chicken stock if you don't want to use wine
1 can coconut cream
1 cup water
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup parsley
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Instructions

Put the mussels in a colander, place in the sink and run cold water over them. Remove any debris like mud, sand and seaweed that could be on the shell. Remove "beard of the mussel" (clumps of hair-like fibers that sprout from the shell) by either using a knife to scrape it or gripping and pulling it toward the hinge of the mussel shell.
In a large skillet, melt the ghee or butter and sautée the onion and chili flakes, until soft, or about 3-5 minutes. Add 3 garlic cloves (grated) and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Add white wine and simmer until reduced by one third, about 5 minutes. Add coconut cream and water, stir and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the mussels to the skillet and cover with the lid. Cook the mussels over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, 3 grated garlic cloves and chopped parsley.
Remove from heat and sprinkle with parmesan cheese,
Serve with crusty bread or over your favorite pasta.

Notes

Nutrition