Ale-Steamed Mussels With Garlic and Mustard
Updated May 5, 2019
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 pounds mussels in shells
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 full sprigs of thyme
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large shallots, chopped
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup good ale
1 to 3 tablespoons butter, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or parsley
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Crusty bread, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
53 grams carbs; 158 milligrams cholesterol; 753 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 30 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 1604 milligrams sodium; 61 grams protein; 8 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Rinse mussels under cold running water. If you see hairy clumps around the shell (called beards), use a sharp knife or your fingers to pull them off, then scrub shells well with a vegetable brush.
- Step 2
In a soup pot with a tight-fitting cover, heat olive oil, then add thyme, garlic, shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until shallots and garlic are softened, 3 minutes. Pour in ale and bring to a simmer. Add mussels and cover pot. Let mussels steam, stirring once or twice, until they open, 5 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mussels to bowls. Discard any that have not opened.
- Step 3
Add butter, herbs and mustard to pan juices and bring to a boil. Whisk until butter melts, then taste and correct seasonings (add more butter if liquid tastes bitter). Pour over mussels and serve with bread for sopping up juices.
Private Notes
Comments
Double all the non-mussel ingredients so you have more broth for dipping. Consider adding a squeeze or two of lemon, or a splash of white wine. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the shallots and garlic. Otherwise easy and delicious.
I made this again tonight. It is so wonderful and so easy. Two pounds of mussels feeds three people quite comfortably. And I can feed three for a quarter of the cost of one serving at the best mussels place in D.C. (In the dead of winter, a teaspoon of dried tarragon works just fine.)
Easy and delicious. I followed the recipe exactly as is and it was perfect. Loved the touch of mustard. Will be my go-to recipe for mussels from now on.
I made this, added mustard powder instead of dijon mustard and it turned out lovely. Also added a diced roma tomato at the end as well to lighten the heaviness of the butter. My 5 year old twins loved it.
Absolutely double the non-mussel ingredients but sub in a tart Sauvignon blanc for the ale. I’ve made this before with a slightly bitter ale and that was not the vibe. Will sub tarragon for the parsley next time plus add some red pepper flakes for a little kick. Devine!
We used a white wine instead of ale, excellent.