Best 5 Creamy Mussels Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

Indulge in the delectable flavors of creamy mussels, a classic seafood dish that tantalizes taste buds with its rich, succulent sauce and tender mussels. This versatile dish can be prepared in a variety of ways, each offering a unique culinary experience. Discover three distinct recipes for creamy mussels, ranging from the classic white wine and garlic combination to a creamy tomato-based sauce and a flavorful Asian-inspired rendition. Embark on a culinary journey and explore the diverse flavors of creamy mussels.


1. **Classic Creamy Mussels**: Relish the timeless flavors of this traditional recipe, featuring plump mussels simmered in a luscious white wine sauce infused with garlic, shallots, and fresh herbs. The delicate sweetness of the mussels complements the savory sauce, creating a harmonious balance of flavors.


2. **Creamy Tomato Mussels**: Experience a delightful twist on the classic with this creamy tomato-based sauce. Fresh tomatoes, garlic, and basil infuse the sauce with a vibrant Mediterranean flavor, while the addition of cream adds a touch of richness and creaminess.


3. **Asian-Inspired Creamy Mussels**: Embark on a culinary adventure with this Asian-inspired variation. Coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, and chili peppers create a fragrant and flavorful broth that perfectly complements the tender mussels. The subtle heat and exotic flavors offer a unique and tantalizing taste experience.

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

CREAMY MUSSELS



Creamy Mussels image

This dish is based on classic moules mariniere, with a bit of cream added.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Seafood Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 6

2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 2)
Pinch of saffron, (optional)
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
3 pounds mussels (about 100 small), scrubbed and debearded
2/3 cup heavy cream

Steps:

  • Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots; cook, stirring, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add saffron, if desired, and wine; bring to a boil. Add mussels; cover and cook, stirring once, until mussels open, about 3 minutes. (Discard unopened shells.)
  • Remove mussels with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a bowl; cover. Strain cooking liquid; discard solids. Return liquid to pot; bring to a boil. Add cream; reduce to a simmer; cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Divide mussels among 4 bowls. Add sauce; serve.

CREAMY GARLICKY MUSSELS



Creamy Garlicky Mussels image

Provided by Tyler Florence

Categories     main-dish

Time 32m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

4 pounds mussels
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Serving suggestion: crusty French bread

Steps:

  • Scrub the mussels with a vegetable brush under running water; discard any with broken shells or that remain opened when tapped. In a large pot over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter in the olive oil. Add the garlic, thyme, and lemon slices and cook until everything has softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the mussels and stir to coat them with all the flavors. Add the wine, then the chicken broth; cover the pot and steam for 10 to 12 minutes until the mussels open. Remove the mussels from the pot. Take the meat out of 10 of the mussels and put them back into the pot along with the remaining butter. Using an immersion blender, buzz the liquid until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy; taste and adjust seasoning. Divide the remaining mussels among the serving bowls and spoon over the sauce.
  • Serve with plenty of crusty French bread to dip in the sauce.

COLD POACHED MUSSELS WITH CREAMY MUSTARD SAUCE



Cold Poached Mussels with Creamy Mustard Sauce image

Mustard emboldens the delicate flavor of seafood. Here, Dijon mustard highlights a creamy sauce for chilled, poached mussels.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Appetizers

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 tablespoons sweet unsalted butter
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more for seasoning
2 pounds mussels, rinsed, debearded, and scrubbed
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup creme fraiche
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, or more to taste
2 teaspoons champagne vinegar, or other mild vinegar such as rice-wine vinegar
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh chervil leaves, snipped

Steps:

  • Melt butter in a medium high-sided saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, and cook, stirring, until shallots are translucent and garlic is very fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Add mussels and wine. Cover saucepan, and cook until mussels open and are cooked through, about 8 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
  • Remove mussels from saucepan. Transfer cooking liquid to a small bowl, and set aside to cool. When cool, transfer to refrigerator to chill.
  • Remove mussels from shells, reserving shells for serving, if desired. Place mussels in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to refrigerator.
  • Whisk together creme fraiche, mustard, and champagne vinegar. Stir cooking liquid, and add about 4 tablespoons reserved cooking liquid and shallots to the creme fraiche mixture to make a nice thin sauce with just enough body to cling to mussels. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and more mustard if desired. Stir in half the lemon zest and chervil.
  • Gently toss cold mussels in mustard sauce. Spoon a mussel and a large puddle of sauce back into reserved mussel shells. Sprinkle mussels with remaining half of zest and chervil, and serve with any remaining sauce on the side.

CREAMY RISOTTO WITH MUSSELS, SHRIMP AND CALAMARI



Creamy Risotto With Mussels, Shrimp and Calamari image

Make and share this Creamy Risotto With Mussels, Shrimp and Calamari recipe from Food.com.

Provided by Laka

Categories     White Rice

Time 30m

Yield 2-3 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
250 g rice (Arborio or rice for risotto)
1/2 cup red wine
700 ml fish stock, from 1 cube, hot
350 g mussels, frozen
350 g shrimp, frozen
400 g of whole squid, thawed, cut into rings
1/3 cup canned tomato, chopped
50 g butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup grana padano or 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Steps:

  • Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and toast lightly for 1-2 minutes without letting the rice or onion take on any color.
  • Add the wine and cook until almost completely absorbed. Add most of the hot fish stock (it should come about ½ inch above the rice) and bring to a simmer. Cook the risotto, stirring occasionally, until the rice has absorbed some of the liquid, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the mussels, shrimp and squid (tentacles as well), and tomatoes, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the seafood is cooked and the rice is al dente, about 6 minutes. As the rice continues to absorb the liquid, add more as needed.
  • Remove the risotto from the heat, add butter Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese. Stir well to release the starches and make the risotto creamy.
  • Season with pepper and serve immediately.

SARASOTA'S CREAMY MUSSELS OVER PASTA WITH HERB BREAD



Sarasota's Creamy Mussels over Pasta With Herb Bread image

Easy and flavorful. A rich creamy broth which can be served over angel hair pasta and crusty bread slathered with a herb butter. Now you can make your own butter, however, you can also buy a stick of herb butter right from any major grocery store which is great to keep on hand. The mussels open in a light creamy broth with tons of flavor, served in a large bowl so the bread and pasta can soak up all the good sauce. A fair amount of ingredients, but nothing hard. This recipe is for 8, but you can easily cut it in half.

Provided by SarasotaCook

Categories     Mussels

Time 50m

Yield 8 Bowls of Mussels, 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 21

1 lb angel hair pasta
4 lbs mussels (I use anywhere between 3-4 lbs, about 1/3-1/2 lb per person)
1 large fennel bulb, core removed and thin sliced
1 large onion, cut in quarters and thin sliced
1 large leek, thin sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups white wine
1/2 cup brandy (I just get one of those little "airline" bottles if you don't keep any on hand, works great)
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh parsley, fine chopped
1/4 cup fresh chives
1 lemon (1/2 squeezed, 1/2 cut in slices)
1/8 cup butter
salt
pepper
8 teaspoons herb butter (as I mentioned, I buy mine right at the grocery store, or you can make your own favorite)
8 slices Italian bread (toasted)
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Steps:

  • Base Flavors -- In a large sauce pan or pot, add the butter and melt on medium high heat. Add the garlic, fennel, onion and leek and cook until slightly tender (about 4-5 minutes). Deglaze the pan with the brandy (and remember to remove from the heat when you add alcohol), then add the wine and broth, tomatoes, red pepper, lemon juice, salt (go lightly mussels have a salty quality) and pepper. Let the broth warm up and cook another 5 minutes on medium (not boiling, just a light simmer).
  • Mussels -- Add in the mussels and cover. They will take around 10 minutes for that many mussels, stir occasionally. Cook until they all open.
  • Just remember - Don't add any mussels to the pot that are already open (and when tapped, they don't close), and if they are cracked, toss them.
  • Finishing -- As the mussels cook, toast up the bread and slather with the herb butter and a dash of the paprika. Cook the pasta according to directions (angel hair takes only minutes).
  • Mussels -- Finish the mussels by adding in the parsley, chives and cream. Keep on medium and cook another minute or two until the sauce is warm. Stir to get all the flavors mixed throughout.
  • Serving -- Just serve the mussels in a large serving bowl with all the broth. Make sure each person has a bowl for their pasta and plenty of the broth from the mussels and crunchy bread to soak up all that flavor. OUTSTANDING!
  • NOTE: As one reviewer mentioned they didn't make the bread, but did suggest that you do. The pasta and bread is key for this. It is a thinner sauce almost like a Japanese noodle bowl so the pasta and bread are used to soak up all the sauce and flavors. Even though it is creamy, the sauce is thinner which is why the bread and pasta are key for this.

Tips:

  • Use fresh mussels: Freshness is key when it comes to mussels. Make sure to choose mussels that are tightly closed and have a briny smell. Avoid any mussels that are cracked or have a foul odor.
  • Properly clean the mussels: Before cooking, it's important to clean the mussels thoroughly. Remove any barnacles or debris from the shells. Use a brush to scrub the mussels under cold running water. Discard any mussels that do not close when tapped.
  • Use a flavorful cooking liquid: The cooking liquid for the mussels is an important part of the dish. Use a combination of white wine, vegetable or fish stock, and herbs to create a flavorful broth. You can also add aromatics like shallots, garlic, and thyme for extra flavor.
  • Cook the mussels until they are just tender: Overcooking mussels can make them tough and rubbery. Cook them just until the shells have opened, which usually takes about 5-7 minutes. Avoid overcooking, as this can make the mussels dry and chewy.

Conclusion:

Creamy mussels are a delicious and easy seafood dish that can be enjoyed as an appetizer or main course. With just a few simple ingredients and some basic cooking techniques, you can create a flavorful and elegant dish that is sure to impress your friends and family. Whether you prefer classic preparations or more adventurous variations, there is a creamy mussel recipe out there to suit every taste. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy seafood dish, give creamy mussels a try!

Related Topics