This is truly an easy mussels recipe that you'll love with a rich, beautiful broth which will make you smile as soon as you taste it. What makes this recipe special is the spicy aioli. When this spicy little gem is mixed with the tomato and garlic broth, it really ramps up the flavor.
THIS MUSSELS RECIPE IS: GLUTEN FREE, PALEO, LOW CARB AND WONDERFULLY WELL BALANCED.
THIS MUSSELS RECIPE HAS A BROTH SO DELICIOUS YOU'LL WISH YOU MADE MORE.
One of my favorite things my wife has taught me over the years is the best way to eat mussels. Here's the inside scoop: take the time upfront to remove all the mussels from the shells. Next, pour over some of the broth and add in a dollop of aioli. Mix well and enjoy one of the most delicious soups you have ever eaten. I promise that you will wish that you doubled the recipe it is so good.
GETTING THE MUSSELS READY
There are a lot of home cooks who have never bought mussels. Here are a couple tips to get the mussels ready:
- Look at the tag on the bag before you buy the mussels at the store. The tag will tell you when they were harvested and shipped, as well as the "best buy" date. My word of advice is that the "best buy" date is a bit subjective. Give the bag a smell. It should smell like the ocean. Give it a look. Most of the mussels should have the shells closed.
- When you get the mussels home, wash and put them in a bowl. Leave the beards on at this point simply because removing them may damage the mussel. If you're planning on cooking the mussels immediately, remove the beards (see point 3). Cover the bowl with a damp cloth to keep them moist. There is no need to cover them with ice. Ice is made with fresh water and if it melts, it will essentially drown the mussels.
- To de-beard a mussel, make sure you have a paper towel handy. When you see a section on the side of the mussel that looks like a scrubbing pad got stuck in the mussel, you have encountered a beard. Simply grab the beard with the paper towel and pull down quickly toward the hinge. It will come out easily.
PREPARING THE TOMATO AND GARLIC BROTH
For this mussels recipe, I used my v-slicing mandolin with the fennel to make it paper thin. If you don't have a mandolin, take a couple extra minutes and slice it as thin as you can. The fennel will be much more tender the thinner it is prepared.
Additionally, I use canned tomatoes for this recipe. If you can find them, the fire roasted variety has a better depth of flavor than stewed or regular diced tomatoes. If you're not a fan of canned tomatoes, go ahead and dice some fresh tomatoes. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and roast in an oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes to get a nice roasted flavor.
If you are looking for the same type of wine that I use for the sauce, it is always a white bordeaux. I love the flavor the bordeaux lends to the sauce. When the mussels recipe is ready, a white bordeaux is crisp and beautiful to accentuate the flavors of the sauce.
QUICK COOKING TIP: When you add the mussels to the pot, make sure that the heat is cranked to high. We are going to be adding cold mussels to a hot broth and need to have enough heat to turn the broth liquid to steam. After 3 minutes, stir the mussels and ensure that you are getting the mussels from the bottom of the pan mixed with those at the top. Mix again at 5 minutes.
MUSSELS RECIPE WITH FENNEL AND TOMATO BROTH
This delicious mussels recipe has a beautiful broth made with garlic, shallots, fennel, butter and fire roasted tomatoes. When mixed with delicious mussels, the flavors are just incredible.
Ingredients
For the mussels recipe
- 4 LBS Mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
- 4 tablespoon Butter
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- ⅓ Cup Shallots, diced fine
- 1.5 Cups Fennel, shaved thin
- 3-4 Cloves Garlic, rough chopped
- 1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes, diced. (14.5oz)
- 2 Cups White Wine, dry
- 3-4 Sprigs Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon Parsley, diced
For the Sriracha Aioli
- ¾ Cup Olive Oil Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Sriracha
Instructions
For the Sriracha Aioli
- Add the mayo and sriracha to a bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the tomato garlic broth
- Add the butter and olive oil to a high sided pot over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add in the shallots and fennel with a good pinch of salt. Mix and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, cook for 2 minutes more, stirring frequently.
- Add in the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, thyme and salt. Stir and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes.
- While the broth is cooking, clean the mussels. Turn up the heat on the broth to high. Add in the mussels. Cover the pot and cook for 6 minutes.
Bringing the mussels recipe together
- Scoop out the mussels into a large bowl and pour the broth over top. Add the parsley. Add the sriracha mayo.
- Enjoy hot and happy eating!
Notes
Plan on 1 LB of mussels per adult as a main dish. ½ LB per person for an appetizer would work as well, particularly if you are enjoying with some charred baguette rubbed with garlic. Oh so good.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 1196Total Fat 51gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 29gCholesterol 299mgSodium 2922mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 3gSugar 8gProtein 110g
This website provides approximate nutrition data and information for convenience and as a courtesy only.
Final thoughts on the best mussels recipe:
I've eaten a lot of mussels over the years. My favorite mussels recipes always have a tomato base with crisp white wine. Add in some butter, garlic and the sweet fennel and the result is a winning dish. You're going to love this mussels recipe!
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We just love mussels and this recipe is to die for! You've hit the nail right on the head with the broth. My husband I and I love spicy foods and your sriracha aioli strikes just the right notes. Really tasty.
Hey Vera:
Thank you... I need to try this recipe again as soon as I can because it's divine.
Have a fantastic day!
Scott