5 Delicious Mussel Recipes You Will Love

Mussels. What’s not to love? They are delicious and good for you being high in iron, and B12 among other things. I love mussels and always have. I love them so much in fact that I almost caught myself on fire trying to get them. We will get to that in a few minutes. The point is that today I am going to share with you five delicious mussel recipes that I am confident you are going to love. Let’s take a look.

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Thai Coconut Red Curry Mussels

The first mussel recipe is for Thai Coconut Red Curry mussels. If you have never had mussels done this way, you should try it. The natural sweetness of the mussels pairs perfectly with the complex flavours and mild heat of curry paste. To make these mussels, you will need red curry paste, which you can find at most grocery stores in the sauce or international food aisle. You can always make red curry paste at home too.

Making these mussels is a simple as sautéeing one teaspoon each of ginger and garlic in olive oil for about a minute. Toss one pound of mussels into the pan along with two tablespoons of red curry paste and a half cup of full-fat coconut milk. Boil the coconut milk, put a lid on the pan and cook the mussels for three to four minutes or until they are all opened. Scoop the mussels out of the pan, keep cooking the sauce until it is the thickness of gravy, then it pour over the mussels. Garnish the dish with a few fresh cilantro leaves and lime juice.

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White Wine and Garlic Mussels

I don’t know that there is a more classic way to eat mussels then to have them cooked in white wine and garlic. I’m also not sure there is a more delicious way to eat them. To make these mussels used two tablespoons of garlic butter, put into a hot pan. I tossed in one pound of mussels, about a quarter cup of white wine, and a touch of salt and pepper. I put a lid on the pan and let the mussels steam for three to four minutes or until all of the shells open.

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Homemade Smoked Mussels

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

When I was very small, younger than three, my mother had some friends over for wine and cheese. They also happened to be eating a can of some mussels. I begged and begged my mom until she let me have one of the smokey, oily, mollusks. After repeatedly telling me that I wouldn’t like them, she caved and let me try them. I loved them so much that I stole the can. A few weeks later, my mom woke up at five in the morning to me, screaming. I was standing on the stove, trying to reach the smoked mussels stored in the cupboard above it. I had kicked on a burner or two. My feet were getting hot, and my pyjamas were starting to smoke. My mom stopped storing the mussels above the stove after that. My love of those canned smoked mussels has never diminished. They are still one of my favourite treats, especially when combined with cream cheese, and a Breton cracker. Has food ever made you do anything crazy? Tell me about it in the comments section below.

I’ve wanted to make smoked mussels ever since I got my smoker back in April. However, the seafood counter at my local grocery store had was shut down for months due to lockdown. But, they are open now, and it seemed like the perfect time to try my hand and to make homemade smoked mussels.

If at first, you don’t succeed, try smoking more mussels.

I made two attempts at making smoked mussels. The first attempt did not work; I’ll explain it. I didn’t totally think through what would happen to the mussels in the dry, smoky heat. Basically, the fresh mussels dehydrated, leaving little to eat. I did use a water pan in the smoker, but it didn’t really help. To fix the issue of the mussels drying up, I cooked them before smoking, which worked a lot better.

To cook the mussels, you first have to make something called court bouillon, which is a flavourful poaching liquid for fish. Court Bouillon is made with water, white wine, and flavourings. You can see the recipe below. Gently simmer the mussels in the court bouillon, just until they opened, then smoke them on 275°f for thirty minutes using mesquite wood chips. Once the mussels are smoked, take them out of their shells, put them in a glass container, and top them with a neutral flavoured oil like Sunflower oil. I made the mistake of using olive oil, which overpowered the flavour of the smoke and the mussels. They were still very delicious, though. I will be making these again.

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Tomato Basil Mussels

Growing up, whenever we had mussels, they were cooked with white wine and garlic and served with garlic butter for dipping. It wasn’t until I was in my early twenties, and cooking professionally that I experienced a different way to eat mussels. That first departure from the mussels I knew, was to have them cooked in a simple tomato and basil marinara sauce. Not only are these mussels exceptionally delicious, but they also opened my eyes to the fact that mussels didn’t have to be cooked the way I’d always had them. There was a whole new world of possibilities.

To make these mussels first heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add in a tablespoon of olive oil along with a teaspoon or two of chopped garlic. Cook the garlic until it is just starting to brown then deglaze the pan with a quarter cup of white wine. Cook the wine for about a minute then toss in the mussels and tomato purée, basil, salt and pepper. Put a lid on the pan and simmer the mussels for about three to four minutes or until they are all opened. I like to garnish these mussels with garlic breadcrumbs for a little texture.

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Broiled Garlic and Parmesan Mussels

Are you throwing a 1970’s themed dinner party? Boy, do I have the thing for you. Okay, so yes, these mussels are a little old school, but that doesn’t change their tasty level. The last of the five mussel recipes in this post are garlic and parmesan mussels, which are made in two steps. The first step, like with the smoked mussels, is to poach them in court bouillon. Once cooked, cool the mussels in the fridge. Split the shells in half and discard the tops. Loosen the mussel from the shell and top with garlic, parmesan bread crumbs. Broil the mussels for three to four minutes or until the breadcrumbs are browned. Old school? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely.

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Conclusion

These five mussel recipes are my five all-time favourites. I hope that when you try these, you find a new favourite for yourself. Do you have an excellent mussel recipe that you want to share? Tell me about it in the comments because I would love to hear about it.

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