Mussels Marinara
Mussels Marinara is a wonderful recipe that takes almost no time at all and is full of flavor. A huge bowl of steaming hot mussels, a salad and some crusty bread makes a great dinner or brunch meal.
Ingredients
- 2 kilo Mussels Be sure they are fresh. Try and buy them already cleaned and de-bearded
- 3-4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 med onion finely chopped
- 2 sprigs thyme fresh or 2 teaspoons level of dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 deciliter white wine room temp
- 3 tbsp parsely coarsely chopped
- 1 teas. sea salt
Optional
- 2 deciliter heavy cream room temp
- 2 large tomatoes nice and ripe deseeded and finely cubed
Instructions
- Prepare everything ahead of time. You can do all the chopping and put things in small bowls covered with plastic wrap. You can do the same with the mussels, clean and store them in the fridge uncovered. All this can be done hours before you need them if you cover and refrigerate everything. You can do the same with a salad to serve with the mussels. If you want to use the cream don't use the tomato! They won't go well together.
- You will need a pot with a lid that is big enough to hold all the mussels and a bowl or two big enough to serve all the mussels in.
- Begin by placing the 2 tbsp of olive oil and heating until it is hot.
- Gently saute the onions. garlic, thyme and bay leaf until softened about 10 minutes. You don't want them to color.
- When this is done, turn up the heat and pour in the white wine and let simmer for about least 4 minutes to get rid of the alcohol. You will be able to smell that its gone.
- Pour in all the mussels at one time. Keep the heat high, place the lid on the pot and let steam for about 3 minutes and then shake the pot vigorously to stir up the mussels, this will help them cook evenly.
- Cook for another 3 minutes, by this time all the mussels should be open. They are cooked once they have opened. Add the chopped parsley and teaspoon of salt. If you are using the cream or the tomato add it now. Remember use either cream or tomato: both of these are optional. The recipe is great with or without them. With a large spoon toss it all together, let it come back to a boil. Then you can empty the pot into 1 or 2 large serving bowls.
Notes
It's easy to know what to do with mussels and there is no real mystery. When you buy the mussels, if they are fresh most of them will be closed. You will see this as you are washing them. If any are open simply tap them on the counter and leave them alone for a moment. If they are alive they will close right up. Any that don't throw away. After cooking them any that don't open you discard. Its that easy.
Be sure to chop the onion and garlic rather fine, it's not nice to see big chunks of onion or garlic in the finish dish.
Remember use either cream or tomato but not both; these are optional. The recipe is great with or without them.
A great recipe that can be arranged hours before your guests come. Great as an appetizer, brunch, or a dinner main course. Once your prep is done the whole thing takes about 15 minutes to cook.Be sure that you have a good reliable supplier, here in Stockholm these are available the day after they are fished on the opposite side of the country.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!