Moules Mariniere (French Mussels in White Wine Sauce)

This is a traditional French dish that will have you booking the next flight to Normandy.

Although this dish is quintessentially French it is probably more of a consistent feature on the dinner tables of the northeastern region of the country. The beauty of a mussel recipe like this is that the mussels (or ‘moules’ in French) are served absolutely fresh.

Mussels are harvested all over the coast of France and then shipped live to the local fishmongers. There they are bought (still alive), taken home, cleaned and prepared in this simple yet stunning recipe and enjoyed by anyone lucky enough to be present.

So the key for you to enjoy this dish is to do the same, and by that I mean: buy only the freshest best alive mussels from your local trusted fishmonger.

If you are not a fan of the richness of the fresh cream, then simply leave out the cream and enjoy ‘Moules a la Normande’ instead. Enjoy with some crusty French bread, a glass of good dry white wine and a smile on your face.

Moules Mariniere (French Mussels in White Wine Sauce)

Paul Hegeman

This is a classic French mussel dish that will have you booking the next flight to Normandy.

4.92 from 46 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 kilogram black mussels
• 400 milliliters fresh cream
• 1 cup white wine dry
• 3 French shallots about 90 grams (3 ounces) finely diced
• 1 stalk celery
• 2 tablespoons thyme fresh, finely chopped
• 3 bay leaves fresh
• 3 tablespoons parsley fresh, finely chopped
• 65 grams butter
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Instructions

 

• Note: This recipe serve 4 as a first course or 2 substantial main course servings.
• Clean the mussels.
• Place a large pot on low heat.
• Add the butter.
• Soften shallots, celery and garlic for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the thyme, bay leaves and cream, then increase the heat to high.
• Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile place a deep pan or pot with a fitted lid on high heat, add the wine and bring to the boil.
• Heat the serving dish by filling it with some hot water.
• Add the mussels to the wine and cover, cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Drain and dry the serving dish.
• Remove the lid from the mussel pan and remove any mussels that are open, place them in the serving dish and cover with foil.
• Continue to boil the wine and mussels until they have all opened and transfer them to the serving dish.
• Once all of the mussels have opened (discard any stubborn ones that refuse to open) strain the wine through a fine strainer into the cream sauce reduce a further 10 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaves.
• Stir through the vinegar and pour the sauce over the mussels.
• Garnish with parsley and serve.
• Enjoy with some crusty French bread, a glass of good dry white wine and a smile on your face.

Notes

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Paul Hegeman

Paul is a personal Chef to exclusive Sydney clients and is also our most frequently contributing writer. Paul was born in The Netherlands and moved to Canada at a very young age. Experience with traditional European meals at home and the diverse multicultural influence of foods in Canada gave Paul a great appreciation for different culinary styles. Over the years Paul traveled extensively and worked at every level of professional kitchens, from the deep fryer in the local burger joint, to the Head Chef in Five Star Hotels. He now resides full time in Sydney, Australia with his wife and their children. You will find his recipes emphasize natural, uncomplicated flavours and fresh ingredients such as those found in Mediterranean and South East Asian cuisines.