BELGIAN MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE GARLIC SAUCE

I cooked Belgian Mussels with white wine garlic sauce guided in part by the basic recipe of Ashley Manila at bakerbynature.com. I often tweak recipes to make them my own. After all they say that “it is not the recipe, but the cook”.

My son requested me to prepare it ala Belgian style for his home-cooked birthday dinner, mussels being his wife’s favorite. 

I gathered the ingredients on a tray as shown below:

CLEANING THE MUSSELS

I bought 3 kilos of mussels and brushed away the grit off each shell and took off the stringy hair called the beard. Then I washed them over tap water.

To further clean the mussels, I put them in a big bowl, added 1/2 cup of flour; swooshed them around with my hands and set aside for 30 minutes; I then drained after washing them one last time. 

Since i wanted to serve the dish while still hot, I placed them in a big strainer to allow water to drain while in the refrigerator until it was time to cook. 

COOKING THE MUSSELS

In a cooking pan big and deep enough to hold all the mussels, 

I put in 5 tbsps of butter, once melted and added 2 tbsp olive oil. 

On medium heat, I put in about a cup of chopped onions and caramelize slightly, then added

2 tbsps minced garlic and cooked further.

Added 1 tbsp lemon zest and

2 tbsps lemon juice. 

Put in the mussels 

Poured in 1 cup dry white wine, 

Added half chicken bullion with 3/4 cup water.

Put lid until the mussels open. 

Checked to see which ones didn’t open and threw them to the trash. 

Turned heat to low and poured in. 

1/2 cup all purpose cream

Stirred thoroughly to mix in the cream.

added a little salt to my taste.

PLATING THE MUSSELS

I put a few pieces of the mussels in individual low bowls with a little soup

added a lemon wedge or two

placed a piece of crusty bread on the side as shown in the photo below and 

sprinkled chopped parsley. 

And the dish was served!

Belgian mussels for his home-cooked birthday dinner, mussels being his wife’s favorite. 

 Photo of tray

 

              CLEANING THE MUSSELS 

I bought 3 kilos of mussels and individually brushed away the grit off the shells and took off the stringy hair called the beard. Then I washed them over tap water.

To further clean the mussels, I put them in a big bowl, added 1/2 cup of flour; 

swooshed them around with my hands and set aside for 30 minutes; 

then drained after washing them one last time. 

Since i wanted to serve the dish while hot, I placed them in a big strainer to allow water to drain while in the refrigerator until it was time to cook. 

               COOKING THE MUSSELS 

In an skillet big and deep enough to hold all the mussels, 

I put in 5 tbsps of butter, once melted added 

2 tbsp olive oil. 

On medium heat, I put in about a cup of chopped onions and caramelize slightly, added

2 tbsps minced garlic and cooked further.

Added 1 tbsp lemon zest and 

2 tbsps lemon juice. 

Put in the mussels 

Poured in 1 cup dry white wine, 

Added half chicken bullion with 3/4 cup water.

Put on the lid until the mussels open. 

Checked to see if any one didn’t open and threw them to the trash. 

Turned heat to low and poured in. 

1/2 cup all purpose cream

Stirred thoroughly to mix in the cream

             PLATING THE MUSSELS

I put a few pieces of the mussels in individual low bowls with a little soup

added a lemon wedge or two

placed a piece of crusty bread on the side as shown in the photo below and 

sprinkled chopped parsley. 

Photo 

And the dish was served