Drunken Mussels Recipe

These delicious drunken mussels are a classic French dish made with fresh mussels, white wine, garlic, and butter. They're called Moules Marinières.

Mussels are so easy and quick to cook. However, there are a few important things to know about cooking them perfectly—they're easy to overcook, so make sure to read the directions closely before starting.

Mussels have a wonderful, briny flavor that pairs perfectly with crisp white wine, rich butter, and zingy shallots. They're a flavor bomb of a meal that will be popular with seafood lovers.

Drunken mussels can be made with multiple types of alcohol - it doesn't have to be just white wine, but wine doesn't overpower the flavor of the mussels.

In my experience, you don't have to be a shellfish lover to enjoy mussels. Mussels in white wine were the on-ramp (for me) to trying other types of seafood.

Ingredients You'll Need to Make Drunken Mussels

Mussels - You'll need 2 pounds of fresh mussels (1 pound per person). You can use Mediterranean mussels or blue or black mussels. You can use wild mussels or farm-raised. The farm-raised mussels often don't need to be debearded.

Butter - You'll need 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. This will be the base of your sauce and what you cook the aromatics in.

Shallots - You'll use 1 shallot for this recipe. You'll peel and finely slice it.

Garlic - You'll need 6 cloves of garlic. This is a garlic lover's recipe! I recommend finely dicing or grating the garlic.

Spices - You'll use ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper. This will add a little warmth to the sauce.

Lemon Zest - You'll use 1 teaspoon of freshly grated lemon zest in the sauce. This adds a gorgeous acidic kick and some much-needed brightness.

Wine - You'll use 2 cups of white wine. You can use whatever type you'd like but I recommend a crisp white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

Parsley - You'll need ¼ cup of chopped parsley to top the mussels after they've cooked.

How to Make Drunken Mussels

Clean the Mussels - Place your mussels in a colander in the sink. Clean the outside of the mussel shells with a scrub brush or a butter knife. Scrub the shells under cold water to remove any sediment. Then pull off any mussels beards (the hair-like clump of fibers sticking out of the shell) with a firm tug. Place the cleaned mussels in a bowl.

Sauté - Heat the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Once the butter is bubbling, add the shallot and garlic and let it sauté for 30 seconds. Add the red pepper flakes, black pepper, and lemon zest. Stir for 30 seconds. 

Add the Wine - Pour in the white wine. Stir then bring to a low boil. 

Cook the Mussels - Reduce the heat to low and add the mussels, stir, and cover the pot. Let steam for 1 minute.  Stir the mussels, cover the pot, and allow to cook for 2 more minutes. Watch closely to see if the shells are opening. Continue to cook for 1 to 3 minutes, until all the shells have opened. 

Garnish & Serve - Remove the pot from the heat, add the parsley, and stir to combine.  Place the mussels in two bowls and top with the remaining sauce. 

To Serve - I like serving mussels with a loaf of crusty bread. You can slice and toast some pieces or break some off into large chunks. Dip it into the sauce and eat alongside the mussel meat. You can also squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the mussels or add other types of fresh herbs like dill.

More Great Seafood Recipes to Try

If you love fish and seafood recipes, you've got to try some of these awesome dishes!

• Thai Fish Curry - this fantastic creamy fish curry with red Thai curry paste is so flavorful.
• Garlic Butter Lobster Tails - delicious garlic butter lobster tails, perfect for a special occasion.
• Baked Sockeye Salmon in Foil - a tender salmon recipe with garlic butter.
• Blackened Tilapia - a lightly spicy seasoning blend rubbed on tilapia.

Tips for Making this Recipe

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Cooking Tips - Keep an eye on your mussels while they're poaching. They can go from uncooked to overcooked in a matter of minutes! If one of your mussels doesn't open (and all the others have), discard it as these are generally assumed to be bad.

Recommended Tools - I have a little kitchen scrub brush that I use to clean vegetables and shellfish. You can buy it online.

Storing Tips - I think reheating mussels overcooks them, so I would recommend making and eating these fresh.

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