This unique mussels in white wine sauce has great flavor and is super easy to make. We put a slight twist on the normal mussels in white wine sauce recipe with the addition of coconut milk, jalapeño and cilantro. This gives a slight kick and a much creamier sauce.
Mussels in White Wine Sauce
So, I turned the big 40 this past week and one of my birthday dinners was this mussels in white wine sauce. It was so good we made it twice! It brings a rush of great memories flooding back to us of all of the amazing times we have had eating mussels at our favorite restaurants. I can’t count all of the great times we have had drinking a cold beer while slowly making our way through a pound or two of mussels over great conversation. And we never let any sauce go to waste as we finish up the meal with a buttered baguette to wipe the plate clean. Leaving only a large pile of empty shells at the end of the night. Great times!
For this recipe, it is always best if you can get a hold of some fresh mussels instead of the ones in a frozen box. This week we had fresh mussels one night and then used a box of frozen mussels that have already been blanched another night. You can definitely tell a difference in the texture of the mussels as the frozen ones are a little tougher and chewier. However, we still enjoyed them because of the delicious sauce that accompanied them.
Preparing the Mussels
To start the recipe, if you are using fresh mussels, clean them under cold running water by gently brushing them to remove any remaining debris. Also, remove any beards that are still on the mussels. You can do this by slowly but strongly pulling the beards towards the hinge on the shell until they come out. Also, any open mussels should be thrown out as these are most likely dead. Be careful not to let the mussels sit in water as this will kill them unless it is salt water. If you have frozen mussels, then you will want to allow these to defrost in your fridge for a good 8 hours before they are cooked.
Preparing the Sauce
You will want to begin the sauce by mincing 2 cloves of garlic, a jalapeño and a 1/2 cup of sweet onion (a shallot can be used here as well). Then throw the garlic, jalapeño and onion in a large skillet on medium high heat and stir. After 2 minutes the onion should be softened. Now add 6 tbsps. of butter to the pan and stir constantly while letting the butter melt and begin to froth. Next add white wine, coconut milk and salt to the pan and let the sauce come to a boil before then turning the heat down to a simmer. We use a dry white wine like a chardonnay in our recipe. Allow the sauce to simmer for 15 minutes while occasionally stirring. This will allow the some of the alcohol in the wine to cook off and the sauce to thicken a little. Your kitchen should now smell absolutely amazing!
Cook the Mussels
The mussels can now be added to the pan and covered with a lid to allow them to be steamed. After 8 to 9 minutes, you should see the majority of the mussels open and they are ready to be eaten! Any mussels that do not open should be thrown away.
The mussels are best served in a large bowl where they can continue to soak up the delicious sauce. We also serve them garnished with chopped cilantro. A buttered baguette is also a great addition to this meal. It is great for sopping up any remaining sauce after you finish your mussels.
Enjoy!
For more sea food recipes try our Baked Rainbow Trout as well as our Teriyaki Salmon Bowl.
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Mussels in White Wine Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
This unique mussels in white wine sauce has great flavor and is super easy to make. We put a slight twist on the normal mussels in white wine sauce recipe with the addition of coconut milk, jalapeños and cilantro. This gives a slight kick and a much creamier sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. of mussels
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup of minced sweet onion
- 1 jalapeño
- 1 cup of dry white wine
- 1/2 cup of coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 6 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Clean fresh mussels under running cold water lightly scrubbing.
- Remove any remaining beards of the mussels.
- Throw away any opened mussels.
- Mince the garlic cloves, jalapeño and onion.
- Add the garlic, jalapeño and onion to a large skillet on medium high heat.
- Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add butter and stir until the butter begins to froth.
- Add the wine, coconut milk and the salt.
- Bring to boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add muscles and cover pan.
- Cook for 8 to 9 minutes.
- Transfer muscles and sauce to bowls removing any unopened mussels.
- Garnish mussels with chopped cilantro.
Notes
Shallots can be used to replace the sweet onion.
Nothing beats a good buttered baguette served with the mussels to soak up the sauce.
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