Perfect Mussels Provencale

Perfect Mussels Provencale is a French-style recipe for mussels cooked with ripe tomatoes, shallots, garlic, olive oil, and white wine.  Shellfish, like mussels, is one of the easiest meals to prepare and cook.  These mussels provencale sounds fancy, but this French seafood dish is very simple and easy to make. Best of all, they always turn out very light, delicate, and packed with fresh flavors. 

 

 

serve them as an appetizer or main course…

Mussels are sometimes meant to be an appetizer but we so much enjoy them as a meal, especially with friends.  

If you are entertaining dinner for a small group (or for someone special) and want to “wow” them with something delicious and elegant, but effortless, this is a dish you should make.

It is simple, elegant, and refined.

Serve these mussels with a side of our parmesan truffle oil potato wedges, or with spaghetti and some crusty bread to soak up some of that delicious sauce. 

So yummy! 🙂

 

How To Shop for Fresh Mussels?  

• When you buy mussels, take a closer look to make sure their shells are fully closed.  Otherwise, if you find some are opened, means they’re not good, and should not be purchased. 
• They should also smell fresh, like the sea.  So ask if you can sniff and smell them. 
• Often, you can choose and pick out your mussels.  If they are loose, and they are placed into a bag, make sure the bag is open at the top, so they can breathe.

What to Do When You Bring Mussels Home?

• When you get home, keep the mussels refrigerated until you are ready to cook them. 
• Make sure they are kept either in an open bag or in a large bowl, uncovered.  This will allow them to breathe.  Do not close the bag, or they will die and open up, and you will have to discard them. 
• Keep them on ice or chill in the refrigerator, until you are ready to cook them. 
• If some mussels begin to open, pinch them closed, and run them under cold running water for a a few minutes. 

 

HOW TO CLEAN MUSSELS?

When you are ready to cook them, rinse them well, a few times.  Examine them.  If you find any mussels open, just give them a pinch to close them. If they don’t stay closed – then those should be thrown out.

1. Place the mussels into a large pot, or large bowl, and place them inside your kitchen sink. 
2. Run cold tap water over them for a few minutes to clean any debris or any sand from them, at least 5 to 10 minutes.  
3. Drain and change the tap water a few times, to remove any further debris from them.  Drain in a colander. 

Ingredients needed for Perfect Mussels Provenciale recipe:

• fresh mussels
• extra virgin olive oil
• butter
• fresh ripe tomatoes
• large shallots
• large cloves of garlic
• white wine
• crushed red pepper flakes
• sea salt

Cook’s Notes and Tips:

• Mussels should be cooked immediately after washing and rinsing, to retain freshness.
• It’s best to cook the vegetables first, for at least 18 to 20 minutes before the mussels are tossed in.  This can be done while you are rinsing the mussels under cold running tap water.
• Keep in mind, you can make this mussel dish a little more spicy, by adding additional crushed red pepper flakes to this recipe.
• Always taste the sauce, then you can adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Mussels Provencale is perfect when the mussels are cooked on high heat with shallots, fresh tomatoes, lots of garlic, and a generous amount of white wine. 

How many Mussels do we need?

It’s a good idea to plan about one pound for every person. If you are having 6 guests for dinner, then 6 pounds would be sufficient.

How to serve Mussels Provencale?

• Serve them in a bowl with a large spoon and allow everyone to serve themselves at the table.  It’s so much fun! 
• Have a basket full of crusty French bread at the table for serving, to soak up some of the sauce.
• You can even dish out some mussels and serve them over spaghetti, and spoon some of that yummy sauce over the entire dish. 

Perfect Mussels Provencale…

This dish is from the region of Provence, which is located in the south of France, near the city of Marseille.  Provence is famous for its seafood dishes as well as the birthplace of bouillabaisse, which is spicy mixed seafood soup.  

Most people may think French dishes are elaborate and time-consuming.  But the beautiful thing about our Perfect Mussels Provencale is that it is one of the easiest dishes to prepare.

It’s literally the best!

ENJOY!!

… Thanks for Pinning!

Finally, more delicious seafood recipes…

• Spaghetti with Lobster Tails Sauce
• Steamed Mussels in Garlic Fennel Broth
• Little Neck Clams in Wine and Garlic Broth
• Easy Baked Shrimp Scampi Dinner
• Quick Mussels Fra Diavolo
• Easy Shrimp Dinner
• Spaghetti with Shrimp Marinara

 

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Stay Healthy … and Happy Cooking!   🙂 

Thanks for stopping by!  

 xo anna and liz