Main dishes
Garlic mussels with white wine and parsley
Garlic mussels with white wine, parsley and optional chilli. A simple covered-pot recipe with clear steps for cleaning, cooking and serving.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cuisine
- Spanish
Ingredients
Method
Select and clean the mussels
Discard cracked shells and open mussels that do not close when tapped. Scrub the rest under cold running water and pull the beards towards the hinge. Rinse and drain; do not soak or store submerged.
Prepare the garlic and parsley
Thinly slice the 12 g garlic. Wash, dry and chop the 5 g parsley; reserve for finishing. Break the optional chilli into two or three pieces and remove seeds for milder heat.
Gently fry the garlic
Heat the 30 g oil in a wide pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and optional chilli. Cook for 1–2 minutes, moving the pot, until fragrant and barely golden. Do not darken the garlic or it will taste bitter.
Add the wine and simmer
Carefully pour in the 120 ml wine, keeping your face away from the steam. Increase to medium-high heat and simmer for 1 minute. This brief cooking does not remove all alcohol; use the wine-free option if you need to avoid it.
Steam the mussels covered
Add drained mussels and cover. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5–7 minutes, shaking the closed pot once or twice. Shells should open and the meat should be firm and opaque; check 63°C / 145°F in a large piece if using a thermometer. Remove from the heat and discard mussels that remain closed.
Finish and serve
Scatter over parsley and pepper. Taste the broth and add up to 1 g salt only if needed. Stir gently and serve immediately in two deep bowls, sharing the mussels and broth. The shells are not edible.
The step photos are illustrative.
Notes
Tips
- Buy mussels from an approved supplier and keep them chilled until cooking. Use a wide pot with room for the shells to open. Do not force closed cooked shells open or keep cooking the whole batch to open them.
Substitutions
- For a wine-free version, use 120 ml water or unsalted fish stock. Chilli is optional. Bread can be served alongside but is not included in the ingredients or nutrition estimate.
Storage
Best eaten freshly cooked. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at 4°C / 40°F or below in a shallow container and eat the next day. Reheat only the portion needed to 74°C / 165°F and avoid repeated reheating.
Sources: USDA FoodData Central; FDA — Seafood safety; FoodSafety.gov — Safe cooking temperatures.
AI-generated illustrative photographs for this recipe.
Nutrition facts
1/2 of the recipe, shells excluded
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 9 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Saturated fat
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Assumes 250 g edible meat per kilogram of shell-on mussels; yield varies. Includes all oil and wine without subtracting evaporated alcohol.
Reference source: USDA FoodData Central — SR Legacy (2018)
For general information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified health or nutrition professional.
About this recipe
These garlic mussels steam in a covered pot with olive oil, garlic and white wine. Their juices make an aromatic broth served with the open shells. Parsley and optional chilli finish the dish, while separate steps explain cleaning, preparing the aromatics, frying the garlic and steaming. One kilogram of shell-on mussels makes two main-course portions. Choose a wide pot with a lid and serve straight away; crowding the pot makes it harder for the shells to open evenly.
Frequently asked questions
Should I soak the mussels?
No. Scrub under cold running water, remove beards and drain. Do not store them submerged in fresh water.
What about mussels that stay closed?
Discard those still closed at the end of cooking. Do not force them open to eat them.
Can I leave out the wine?
Yes. Replace the 120 ml with water or unsalted fish stock. A minute of simmering does not remove all the wine's alcohol.
