Mussels in White Wine & Garlic
Classic moules marinières: mussels steamed open in white wine with garlic, shallot and thyme, then finished with butter, lemon and parsley. Dinner in about 30 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
about 1 lb (450 g) mussels in the shell + broth- Net carbs
- 8.4g
- Calories
- 265kcal
- Protein
- 14g
- Fat
- 15g
- Total carbs
- 8.9 g
- Fiber
- 0.5 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Creamy (à la crème): Heavy cream stirred into the wine broth makes a rich, velvety sauce that coats every mussel.
- After the mussels come out, add the cream to the broth and simmer 2 minutes until slightly thickened, then swirl in the butter, parsley and lemon.
Thai coconut-lime: Mussels steamed in coconut milk with ginger, chile, fish sauce and lime, finished with cilantro.
- Cook the shallot, garlic, ginger and chile in the coconut oil (leave out the thyme). Add the coconut milk and fish sauce, bring to a simmer and steam the mussels in it. Finish with lime juice and cilantro instead of butter, lemon and parsley.
Spicy tomato (fra diavolo): A fiery Italian-American take: the wine broth gets tomatoes, oregano and extra chili flakes.
- Add the tomatoes, oregano and extra pepper flakes with the wine and simmer 5 minutes before adding the mussels. Serve over zoodles if you like.
- Also add
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4 sprigs fresh thymeleave out - Also add
- Also add
Estimated cost $18.63 for 4 servings ($4.66 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
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Sort the mussels: discard any with cracked shells, and any open ones that don’t close within a minute after a firm tap on the counter. Scrub them under cold water and pull off the stringy beards.
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In a large, wide pot or Dutch oven with a lid, melt 1 tbsp butter with the oil over medium heat. Cook the shallot 2–3 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, pepper flakes and thyme and cook 1 minute.
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Pour in the wine, add the black pepper and bring to a boil. Let it bubble 1–2 minutes.
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Add the mussels, cover tightly and cook over high heat 4–6 minutes, shaking the pot every minute or so, until the shells have opened.
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Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to warm bowls, discarding any that stayed closed and the thyme stems.
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Swirl the remaining 2 tbsp butter, the parsley and lemon juice into the broth, taste (mussels are naturally salty, so you rarely need salt) and pour it over the mussels.
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Serve right away with an empty bowl for shells, and cloud bread or almond flour bread for dipping in the broth.
Tips for success
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Buy mussels the day you cook them and keep them in the fridge in an open bowl covered with a damp towel, never in a sealed bag or water. - Most farmed mussels have little or no beard and very little grit, so cleaning takes just a few minutes.
- The weight in the shell is about four times the meat you eat. The nutrition is calculated on the meat.
Nice to have, not needed
- A wide pot with a tight lid steams the mussels evenly — a deep skillet covered with a lid or foil works too.
Storage & meal prep
- Keeps 2 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Warm the shelled mussels gently in their broth just until hot, or stir them into a soup.
Best eaten right away. Pick leftover mussels from their shells and refrigerate in the broth up to 2 days; warm gently or add to a soup.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosCreamy (à la crème)
FlavorHeavy cream stirred into the wine broth makes a rich, velvety sauce that coats every mussel.
- + ½ cup heavy cream
9.2 g net · 366 kcal · 15 g protein · 25 g fat · ≈$4.94 per serving (+0.8 g net carbs vs the original)
Thai coconut-lime
FlavorMussels steamed in coconut milk with ginger, chile, fish sauce and lime, finished with cilantro.
- butter → coconut oil
- dry white wine → full-fat coconut milk
- fresh parsley → cilantro
- lemon juice → lime juice
- + 2 tbsp fresh ginger
- + 1 Thai chile or jalapeño
- + 1 tbsp fish sauce
- no fresh thyme
9.5 g net · 324 kcal · 15 g protein · 26 g fat · ≈$4.32 per serving (+1.1 g net carbs vs the original)
Spicy tomato (fra diavolo)
FlavorA fiery Italian-American take: the wine broth gets tomatoes, oregano and extra chili flakes.
- + 1 cup canned crushed or diced tomatoes
- + 1 tsp dried oregano
- + ½ tsp extra red pepper flakes
9.5 g net · 276 kcal · 15 g protein · 15 g fat · ≈$4.87 per serving (+1.1 g net carbs vs the original)
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