Mussels in a Creamy White Wine Garlic Sauce
Mussels in a creamy white wine garlic sauce is such a quick dish, you almost won't believe that something so devastatingly delish is faster than takeout. Mussels, white wine, cream, lemon, and garlic are just about all it takes.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (2 oz) butter
- 1 (8 oz) yellow onion, cut in half and sliced into 1/2-inch half moons
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 lemon
- 4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- black pepper
- salt, See Note
- flat-leaf parsley (or cilantro or thyme leaves), chopped
- thick slices of toasted buttered bread, for serving
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Melt 4 tablespoons (2 oz) butter in a large pot over medium heat. Toss in 1 (8 oz) yellow onion and 3 to 4 garlic cloves and cook, stirring often, until soft but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Squeeze the juice from 1/2 lemon into the pot and drop in the lemon, too.
- Raise the heat to high, scoop in 4 pounds mussels, pour in 1 cup dry white wine, and cover tightly. Steam the mussels until most of them open, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, pour in 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, and add a few grinds of black pepper, and a pinch of salt, if needed.
- Let the sauce lazily burble until all the mussels are open, 2 to 3 minutes more. Toss the stubborn sons-of-bivalves that refuse to open.
- Crown the mussels with flat-leaf parsley (or cilantro or thyme leaves). Serve alongside a basket of thick slices of toasted buttered bread and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Salt after tasting—When the mussels open, they spill their briny liquor. That natural saltiness seasons the cream broth and adds depth. Before adding any salt, stir the pot and then taste. If it needs a bit more, add it a small pinch at a time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 638kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 181mg | Sodium: 691mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g