Mussels in White Wine Cream Sauce

This is a dish that takes us back to France and mussels are one of our favourite 'fruits of the sea'. They are incredible versatile and work well with flavoursome sauces like in seafood laksa and our spicy New Zealand mussels.

How to clean mussels

To clean fresh mussels simply pull off the beards and scrub the shells with a metal kitchen scrub/ brush. Discard any mussels that are open or have cracked, damaged shells.

Ingredients

• Fresh mussels - use fresh if they are available to you. Or you can also buy vacuum packed or frozen mussels too, prepare them according the the packet instructions.
• A large shallot - the classic onion of French cuisine, its is sweet in flavour and a great base ingredients.
• Garlic
• Oil - we used canola, but you can substitute with your preferred non flavoured cooking oil.
• White wine - we recommend a good sauvignon blanc.
• Cream - use a full fat heavy cream (we did say this dish was decadent!)
• Fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper

Optional -

• Tomato - this isn't a traditional ingredient in a white wine sauce, but we love the pop of texture and colour.
• A French stick or crusty bread to serve, it really should be a must for mopping up that sauce!

See recipe card for quantities.

Step by step instructions

• Clean the mussels - Scrub the shells and de beard.
• Create the sauce - Add the butter and oil to a large pan on medium heat and add the diced shallots and garlic. Season and allow to soften, cooking for a few minutes. Add the wine and reduce the liquid by half, then add the cream and bring the liquid to a simmer.
• Cook the mussels - Add the mussels to the sauce and place the lid on top. Allow to cook for 3-4 mussels to allow the mussels to open. Discard any mussels that don't open.
• Garnish and serve - Add the chopped parsley and mix into the sauce. Serve in a large bowl and top with the chopped, deseeded tomatoes. Serve with your side of choice.

Happy cooking!