Moules Marinière (Sailor-Style Mussels)

This classic French dish from Normandy features fresh mussels steamed in white wine with aromatic vegetables and herbs. The resulting broth is flavorful and perfect for dipping crusty bread. Simple yet elegant, moules marinière is a bistro favorite that brings the taste of the French coast to your table.

Servings: 4
Category: Entrees
Source: Serious Eats

Recipe

Servings

Prep:20 minutes

Cook:10 minutes

Total:30 minutes

Ingredients

• 907 g fresh mussels, debearded and scrubbed
• 177 ml dry white wine
• 30 ml butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 ml fresh thyme
• 59 ml fresh parsley, chopped
• 158 ml heavy cream (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Fresh black pepper to taste
• Crusty French bread (for serving)

Directions

1. Clean mussels thoroughly, removing any beards and scrubbing shells. Discard any mussels that don't close when tapped
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat
3. Add shallots and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes
4. Add garlic and thyme, cook for another minute until fragrant
5. Pour in white wine and bring to a simmer
6. Add mussels to the pot and cover immediately
7. Steam for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally, until mussels open
8. If using cream, stir it in gently
9. Remove from heat and discard any mussels that didn't open
10. Stir in fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper
11. Serve immediately in bowls with crusty bread for dipping in the broth

Notes

Original Serious Eats recipe was not accessible, so this recipe was compiled from traditional French moules marinière techniques. Since the URL was .com, US measurements were used as the base with metric conversions.

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Generated from recipe data on August 25, 2025