Traditional mussels marinière: the best recipe
How to properly clean and prepare mussels before cooking?
Ingredients · Servings 4 people
- 4 kg mold
- 3 onions
- 25 cl white wine
- 4 celery stalks
- 25g butter
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of pepper
Method · 10 min
- First, thoroughly clean the mussels and wash them well to remove any sand and shells left on them.
- Dice the onions into small cubes or thin slices and also slice the celery.
- In a large pot, melt the butter, sweat the onions until they are a nice brown color, add the mussels and celery, add a little salt (but not too much as the mussels are already salty), add pepper, pour in the white wine and cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes until all the shells have opened. You can turn them over occasionally.
- The mussels are ready to be enjoyed with real fresh fries.
Rinse the mussels under cold water and scrape off any impurities from the shells. Then remove the byssus, the small beard that protrudes from the mussel, by firmly pulling it towards the hinge. Discard any broken mussels or those that remain open after gentle pressure.
How can you tell if a mussel is still good before cooking it?
A fresh mussel should have an intact shell, be tightly closed, and give off a pleasant sea smell. If it's slightly open, tap it lightly: it should close. Discard any mussels that remain open, are broken, or have an unpleasant odor.
