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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Mussels in White Wine

    Published: Apr 4, 2023 by Neriz · This post contains some affiliate links.

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    An excellent dish to kick off any meal, Mussels in White Wine is a light appetizer packed with flavor.  You will surely be asking for seconds!

    A closer shot of steamed mussels with white wine, showing thin slices of garlic and fresh parsley.

    Known as ‘cozze al vino bianco’ in Italian, mussels in white wine are steamed mussels cooked in olive oil, garlic, parsley, and white wine.  

    What goes with mussels in white wine sauce?

    Crusty bread and a glass of chilled white wine — you can even have the same wine you used to cook the mussels.

    Oh!  And no, you do NOT need salt to prepare this steamed mussels recipe.  The salt from the seafood is more than enough to season the dish.

    Remember that you are only complementing the flavor of the mussels, not overpowering it.

    Oh!  And the fresher the mussels are, the sweeter the white wine sauce will be.  So, get them as fresh as you can! 🙂

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    Ingredients

    All the ingredients you need to cook steamed mussels with garlic and white wine.
    • Olive oil – I strongly suggest extra virgin olive oil for making this seafood appetizer.
    • Garlic – I typically use three cloves and I sliced them thinly.
    • Mussels – cleaned, rinsed, and drained.
    • White wine – any dry white wine you wouldn’t mind drinking.
    • Parsley – roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and set aside some extra for serving.
    A pan of mussels cooked in garlic and white wine sauce, ready for serving.

    Preparation

    Start by placing a large pan or skillet over medium heat.

    Pour olive oil, then add the sliced garlic.

    Starting with cooking the garlic as the base for making steamed mussels in garlic sauce.

    As soon as the garlic becomes fragrant, add the cleaned mussels.

    Adjust the heat to medium-high.

    Pour the wine.

    Pouring white wine into steamed mussels with garlic, with fresh parsley in the background.

    Mix and let cook for a minute — do not cover yet.

    Add the fresh parsley.

    Adding fresh parsley as the last step in making steamed mussels.

    Mix, then cover the pan with a lid and continue cooking until the mussels open completely.

    Turn the heat off, uncover, and mix the steamed mussels in garlic and white wine sauce.

    Transfer into bowls, and garnish with more parsley, if desired — serve.

    An overhead shot of a serving of steamed mussels in garlic sauce, with slices of bread next to it.

    Helpful tips

    • When cleaning the mussels, remember to remove those with broken shells as well.
    • While you can also use a deep pot (or Dutch oven) to steam mussels, I find that a large pan with a wide opening is the best type to use.
    • Do not add salt.  The mussels (when they open) will provide the salt to season the white wine and garlic sauce.
    Mussels in garlic and white wine sauce, served with slices of crusty bread.

    Recipe variation

    • Butter.  Melted butter is sometimes used instead of olive oil to saute the garlic.  I’ve always been partial to olive oil for making this dish, but feel free to try it.
    • Chili flakes.  If you want a hint of heat, sprinkle some chili flakes with the parsley, but be mindful not to overpower the seafood. 

    So how about it?  Try this steamed mussels recipe this week and let me know! 🙂

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    Feature image for mussels in white wine, showing the dish on a bowl, garnished with more parsley.

    Mussels in White Wine Recipe

    An excellent dish to kick off any meal, Mussels in White Wine is a light appetizer packed with flavor.  You will surely be asking for seconds!
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 27 minutes minutes
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 119kcal
    Author: Neriz

    Equipment

    • Chopping Board
    • Kitchen Knife
    • Pyrex Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Colander
    • Large Pan/Skillet with Lid (3.5 qt)

    Ingredients

    • 1 kilo mussels (about 2 pounds), cleaned
    • 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, thinly chopped
    • 1/2 to 1/3 cup white wine
    • handful of parsley, roughly chopped

    Instructions

    • Place a large pan or skillet over medium heat.
    • Pour olive oil, then add the sliced garlic — cook until it becomes fragrant.
    • Add the mussels and adjust the heat to medium-high.
    • Pour the wine and leave uncovered for about a minute.
    • Add the fresh parsley and mix.
    • Cover with a lid and continue cooking until the mussels are completely opened.
    • Turn the heat off, uncover, and mix.
    • Transfer mussels in garlic and white wine sauce into bowls, and garnish with more parsley, if desired.
    • Serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Cook’s Tip #1:  When cleaning the mussels, make sure you get rid of those with broken shells as well.
    • Cook’s Tip #2:  Do not add salt.  Once the mussels open, they will provide the salt to season the white wine and garlic sauce.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @foodandjourneys or tag #foodandjourneys!

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