Steamed Garlic Mussels from Scott Woolley’s Cookbook

27 Mar Steamed Garlic Mussels from Scott Woolley’s Cookbook

Discover Scott Woolley’s easy and flavorful Steamed Garlic Mussels! This recipe transforms the often-overlooked mussel into a gourmet delight. Rich in omega-3 and iron, mussels are not only nutritious but also simple to prepare. Clean and steam them with garlic, shallots, red pepper flakes, and white wine for a dish that’s both savory and satisfying. Serve with crusty bread for dipping into the delicious broth. Perfect for impressing guests or enjoying a special meal at home!

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Steamed Garlic Mussels

Today, let’s talk about an underappreciated (and often overlooked) mollusk: mussels.

Rich in omega-3, tasty, and easy to cook—these freshwater and saltwater creatures may seem like a rare delicacy for most of us. However, before you group them into treats that you can only enjoy when you eat out at French and Italian bistros, get a load of this easy-to-follow recipe from my book Cooking for the Family: All You Need Is Love, But a Great Meal Doesn’t Hurt.

Why mussels?

They’re pretty tasty, sure. But did you know that mussels are also a great source of iron, protein, iodine, and the eternally praised omega-3 fatty acid? They’re almost guilt-free too because they are quite low in saturated fats. Talk about a gourmet blowout, right?

If its nutritional value doesn’t quite cut it in terms of convincing you to consider mussels for your next gourmet creation, then the ease with which you can cook them might. Seasoned and novice cooks will tell you that preparing and cooking these gastronomic delights are not as daunting as you might think. All you have to do is steam them for about three to four minutes with the seasonings and sauces that you want, and you’ve got yourself a meal.

How to choose and buy mussels

If they’re not easily accessible from where you live, you can always enjoy this seafood goodness straight from the frozen aisle of your favorite grocery store. You can often find vacuum-packed frozen mussels in most major stores.

However, if you’re one of the luckier ones with seafood stands teeming with seafood fresh from your local port, then one way to ensure that you buy a good batch is to choose shells that are closed. Ask your fishmonger to choose the ones with closed shells for you.

Two more things that you should consider when buying mussels:

1. Avoid buying anything that smells too fishy. You should be able to take a whiff of that salty smell that is reminiscent of the sea, but anything too strong should be avoided.
2. Always go for the smaller shells. You might think that the larger ones are a better deal, but the smaller mussels are tastier and more succulent.

Cooking your mussels

Are you craving some tasty shellfish that you can easily cook yourself? Here is a delicious recipe from my cookbook that you can recreate at home.

For steamed garlic mussels, you will need the following:

3½ to 4 pounds mussels

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

6 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 shallots, thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1½ cups dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

¾ cup chopped fresh parsley

Good quality crusty bread, sliced or torn into pieces, for serving

Aside from the shellfish that you will, for sure, want to get fresh from the market, these are all pretty staple items that you might find easily in your pantry. Once you’ve rounded up these ingredients for your venture into the world of mollusks and their tasty delights, let’s get right to the exciting part—cooking them.

Here’s what you need to do next:

Step 1:

First, you want to make sure that you clean the mussels properly first. To do this, transfer the mussels into a container (a colander can be best used for this purpose), and then run cold water through it. Use a brush or even your hands to pick off any waste matter that might be stuck on the shells such as sand, barnacles, seaweed, and mud.

Helpful tip: If you find mussels that are open or broken, give them a tap on the side of the sink. These are the ones that are likely to still be alive. If they close up, then they are good to go. However, if they remain open, be sure to discard them.

Step 2:

To cook your mussels, you will need a large, deep pot with a lid. Start by heating up your oil and butter in medium heat.

Step 3:

Next, add your chopped garlic, shallots, and red pepper flakes into the pot. Let it simmer for up to 5 minutes until the fragrant smell of seasonings permeates your kitchen.

Step 4:

Your mussels, wine, and half of your prepared parsley go in next.

Step 5:

Put your stove on high heat and cover the pot for another 2 minutes.

Step 6:

Once the 2 minutes are up, go ahead and move around the mussels using a spoon. This ensures that every shell gets a good amount of broth.

Step 7:

Cover the pot and wait for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 8:

Add in the remaining parsley and transfer your soup into separate bowls.

This recipe can serve up to 10 people and goes best with freshly toasted bread. Trust me, I’ve had a lot of happy house guests, and I’ve committed this recipe to memory.

Read many more of my fun cooking fact, great family recipes and fun thoughts in my cookbook, Cooking for the Family: All You Need Is Love, But a Great Meal Doesn’t Hurt.