Steamed Mussels in White Wine & Parsley

A simple weekday meal that’s full of flavour. Make sure to get the freshest mussels you can get your hands on, and some crusty bread to mop up the broth.

Ingredients

• 1kg fresh mussels (serves 2)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2-3dl white wine

• 1 tsp fresh thyme

• 1 onion, finely diced

• 1 shallot, finely diced

• 1 tsp white pepper

• 50g salted butter

• 2 tsp plain flour

• 1/2 cup (packed) very finely chopped parsley

• Lemon wedges for serving

Method

Clean the mussels by putting them in a bowl under the sink with cold running water. With a knife or brush, scrub off any dirt or sediment, and remove the ‘beard’ of each one. Any mussels that remains open under cold water should be discarded. If in doubt, knock it lightly on the counter and if it still doesn’t close, discard.

In a large saucepan in medium-low heat, fry onion and shallots in olive oil until soft (about 10 minutes). Add thyme and white pepper, and stir for a further minute. Turn up heat to medium-high, add wine, and bring to the boil.

Stir in half the parsley, then add the mussels and put lid on pan. Let it steam for 8-10 minutes without opening the lid, shaking the pan by holding the handles every couple of minutes.

You will know it’s done when all the mussels have opened. Discard any that have not opened at this point. Remove mussels from the pan with a slotted spoon into your serving dish, covering them to keep them warm. 

On medium high heat, bring liquid in the pan to a simmer, and add 50g of butter. Let it melt and stir to combine. Once butter is incorporated add the flour to thicken the sauce. Pour the sauce into the serving bowl over the mussels. Sprinkle the remaining half of parsley over the dish. Serve with crusty bread on the side to soak up the broth.