# Steamed mussels
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** food-cooking, wine
**Created:** [August 18, 2024, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877 "2024-08-18T17:36:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2024, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/1 "2024-08-18T17:36:51Z")
First, the [recipe](https://www.food.com/recipe/mussels-in-white-wine-and-garlic-13162).
**INGREDIENTS**
- 4 lbs live [mussels](https://www.food.com/about/mussel-268)
- 6 tablespoons [butter](https://www.food.com/about/butter-141), cut into pieces
- 4 large [shallots](https://www.food.com/about/shallot-127), finely chopped
- 4 [garlic cloves](https://www.food.com/about/garlic-165), finely chopped
- 1⁄2teaspoon [salt](https://www.food.com/about/salt-359)
- 2 cups [dry white wine](https://www.food.com/about/wine-184)
- 1⁄3cup [mixed fresh herbs](https://www.food.com/about/herb-168) (such as flat-leaf parsley,chervil,or basil,chopped)
**DIRECTIONS**
- Rinse and scrub mussels under cold water.
- Using your fingers or paring knife, remove beards (strings that hang from the mussel shells), and discard. Discard any broken mussels. If any mussels are open and resist being closed, discard them.
- In a large stockpot set over medium heat, melt the butter. Once it’s hot, add shallots, garlic, and salt.
- Add the wine and bring to a boil.
- Add mussels and cover.
- Steam until all mussels are open, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in herbs.
- Remove from heat.
- Divide mussels and broth among four bowls.
- Serve immediately.
My wife has been having stomach issues for months; so except for infrequent occasions, I have to cook for myself. Obviously, four pounds of mussels is too much. Heck, _one_ pound of mussels is probably too much for one person. So the recipe will need to be reduced.
Is it reasonable to cut the amounts by 75%? i.e., 1 pound of mussels, 1½ tablespoons butter (Yeah, right. Me? Two tbsp is more likely.), 1 shallot, salt (I use my fingers, so ‘by sight’), and ½ cup of wine? I don’t see why ratios would change anything in such a simple recipe. [NB: I’ve never seen chevril in the supermarket. I’ll use parsley and tarragon.]
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### Author:  [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2024, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/2 "2024-08-18T17:43:09Z")
Do you do anything to “clean” the mussels beforehand?
It’s been a while now but my friend’s mom would make mussels or clams and she would put them in a pan of water with a little flour (I think it was flour) and leave them be for a couple hours.
The notion was they would eat the clean water and flour and poop out whatever they had before thus making for a more palatable mussel.
I honestly have no idea if this made any useful difference though.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2024, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/3 "2024-08-18T17:45:46Z")
My favorite dish when I lived in Brussels was _moules provençal_, which is similar to your dish. A side of frites with house mayo and I was in heaven. I made an approximate version of the dish when we were visiting relatives in Bellingham, using local fresh mussels.
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#):
>
> Do you do anything to “clean” the mussels beforehand?
Other than removing the beard, I’ve never found that to be necessary.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2024, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/4 "2024-08-18T17:48:33Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#):
>
> Do you do anything to “clean” the mussels beforehand?
Only externally, as stated in the directions. I reckon the mussels from the market have already been ‘purged’.
Usually, I use mussels in seafood boils. If I have steamed mussels, it’s at a restaurant. The place down the beach has steamed mussels in tomato-fennel broth, with Calabrian chiles. Very good, though my wife found it too spicy.
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### Author:  [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2024, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/5 "2024-08-18T22:36:15Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#):
>
> The notion was they would eat the clean water and flour and poop out whatever they had before thus making for a more palatable mussel.
That’s the process for removing sand. Necessary for clams who live under the sand; not for mussels who don’t.
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### Author:  [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2024, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/6 "2024-08-18T22:42:31Z")
Oh no, I said “steamed brussels”! That’s what I call Brussels sprouts.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2024, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/7 "2024-08-18T22:43:47Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#):
>
> Oh no, I said “steamed brussels”!
Pulling the old Switcheroo, eh?
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2024, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/8 "2024-08-18T23:36:07Z")
I get mine from Kroger. Frozen. Open the box, put em in a pan. They ain’t so bad.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2024, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/9 "2024-08-19T02:09:31Z")
Us Cargo. Again?🤭
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2024, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/10 "2024-08-19T02:42:25Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#):
>
> Oh no, I said “steamed brussels”! That’s what I call Brussels sprouts.
That’s funny, I’m from Utica and I’ve never heard steamed brussels called “steamed mussels”.
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### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2024, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/11 "2024-08-19T02:43:28Z")
At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within this thread?
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2024, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/12 "2024-08-19T12:40:46Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> My favorite dish when I lived in Brussels was _moules provençal_, which is similar to your dish. A side of frites with house mayo and I was in heaven.
I made _ **moules et frites** _ for dinner last night, using tomato sauce and garlic for my sauce. Mayonnaise, of course, and a French wine.
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### Author:  [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2024, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/13 "2024-08-19T12:50:14Z")
As to the OP’s question about proportions, I think you’re spot on. Things like shallots and garlic don’t need to be exact any way. You know your own taste. I would definitely cut down on the wine or it won’t all cook out. Sounds delicious though.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2024, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/14 "2024-08-19T12:54:05Z")
I tried a recipe much like yours that had about 1/2 cup of bread crumbs sprinkled over the top of the mussels. They retained the juice from the opening mussels and kept them very moist and flavorful. I often steam a pot full of littlenecks, steamers (soft shell clams), and mussels together. I let the littlenecks go for about 5 minutes, add the steamers and mussels. Once the pot begins to steam again I turn off the heat and let them all finish slowly to keep them tender.
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### Author:  [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2024, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steamed-mussels/1005877/15 "2024-08-19T13:36:06Z")
A couple of years ago i found out that you can also add some real flavor to mussels.
I love mussels in Roquefort.