Cooking Mussels: Here Are 10 Key Steps To A Perfect Meal!

In my house, cooking mussels have proven to be a group pleaser every time I’ve made them.  They will not only help make a scrumptious and impressive entree, but are just as popular as an appetizer. If you are searching for a menu item that is easy to prepare, popular with most everybody, and isn’t too formal, then mussels might be an excellent choice.

My choice would be to prepare sauteed mussels, and serve them along with a green olive sauce. 

This is exactly how I accomplish it:

Cooking mussels Step #1:  I prefer to start with one pound of  mussels, and also the recipe for a tasty green olive sauce.  Later I will require the following: 1 quarter cup white wine, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and one tablespoon butter.

Cooking mussels Step #2:  Rinse the mussels and throw out any that do not shut when tapped.

Cooking mussels Step #3:  To make the green olive sauce, position olives, capers, parsley, cilantro, 3 tbsps of olive oil, sherry vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper into a food processor.  Add salt and pepper as desired.  Mix as deired.  

Cooking mussels Step #4:  Pre-heat a pan over medium heat. Process your desired quantity of garlic. Place garlic along with butter in your preheated skillet and stir.  Cook the garlic in the skillet until it results in a tan shade.

Cooking mussels Step #5:  As an alternative, you can consider adding chile, shallots, and/or lemon at this time. 

Cooking mussels Step #6:  At this point it is time to include the mussels, while being cautious not to include too many at one moment.  You’ll prefer the mussels to open up, which might be a challenge for the poor unfortunates at the bottom of the heap. You should only prepare sufficient mussels to make 1 layer in the skillet.

Cooking mussels Step #7:  Stir the mussels in the garlic butter while being careful not to be too rough.  Remember that the shells are somewhat fragile and may crack and chip if you’re not careful.

Cooking mussels Step #8:  Now include the wine. Including the wine will create the important steam required to open the shells while at the same time lowering the overall heat within the pan.

Cooking mussels Step #9:  Cover the mussels with a top and let stand for 4 minutes.

Cooking mussels Step #10:  Take away the lid. If all goes as planned, many if not all of the mussels will have opened. Mussels, unlike clams, will open before they are completely cooked.

The mussels are at this point ready for the coup de gras. Include the green olive sauce and stir together.

Bon Appetit!

This article, and many other timely cooking tips, can be found here: The Cooking Network

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