Moules Marinières
Moules marinières originates from the coastal regions of northern France, especially Brittany and Nord-Pas-de-Calais, where mussels grown on wooden stakes offshore were for centuries the staple food of fishermen and their families. The word 'marinière' literally refers to the sailors' style — a simple, quick method, without complicated ingredients. The dish remains one of the most ordered dishes in French bistros, traditionally served with an empty plate alongside for discarding the shells and with thin fried potatoes, the combination 'moules-frites' being almost synonymous with everyday French dining.
Fresh mussels, carefully cleaned
The mussels are scrubbed well and debearded before cooking, discarding any open shell that doesn't close when tapped.
Dry white wine, the sauce's base
A dry white wine, quickly simmered with shallots and parsley, forms the fragrant broth the mussels cook in.
Cooked in just minutes
The mussels cook extremely fast, a few minutes over high heat, covered, until they open fully.
Baguette for the leftover broth
Pieces of fresh baguette are always used to soak up and savour every drop of the broth left at the bottom of the pot.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 1.5kg fresh mussels
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 250ml dry white wine
- 50g butter
- A bunch of parsley, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 fresh baguette, for serving
How to make it
- 1Scrub the mussels under cold water and remove the beards, discarding any open shell that doesn't close when tapped.
- 2Melt the butter in a large pot and sauté the shallots and garlic until softened, without browning.
- 3Add the white wine and bay leaf, letting it boil rapidly for a few minutes to cook off the alcohol.
- 4Add the mussels to the pot and cover tightly with a lid.
- 5Cook over high heat, shaking the pot occasionally, for about four to five minutes, until all the mussels have opened.
- 6Discard any mussel that remains closed.
- 7Sprinkle the chopped parsley and pepper on top, serving immediately, hot, with fresh baguette for the broth.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
