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Chef Naeem’s Kitchen

Chef Naeem's White Wine Mussels

Mussels are the most forgiving luxury in the kitchen: eight minutes from pot to table, and the shellfish season their own broth as they open. The only rule is to stop cooking the moment the last shell opens.

4.8 · 61 reviews

Ready in under 20 minutes · Sample ratings until customer reviews are collected

Jump to ingredients
Black mussels steamed in white wine and cream in a white bowl with garlic bread
Preparation
10 min
Cooking
10 min
Servings
4 people
Difficulty
Easy

The story behind the dish

On the West Coast, mussels are pulled from the rocks and steamed on the beach in whatever liquid is at hand. Naeem's version keeps that immediacy and adds a splash of cream at the end — a small indulgence that turns the broth into something worth mopping up.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg black mussels, scrubbed and debeardedShop this
  • 250 ml dry white wine
  • 100 ml cream
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 40 g butter
  • 1 bay leaf
  • A large handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Crusty bread, to serve

Equipment required

  • Large pot with a tight-fitting lid
  • Colander
  • Ladle

Step-by-step method

  1. 1

    Check the mussels

    Scrub the shells and pull away any beards. Discard any mussel that is cracked, or that stays open when tapped firmly on the counter.

  2. 2

    Sweat the aromatics

    Melt the butter in a large pot and cook the shallot and garlic gently for three minutes with the bay leaf, until soft but not coloured.

  3. 3

    Add the wine

    Pour in the wine, raise the heat and let it bubble hard for two minutes to cook off the raw alcohol.

  4. 4

    Steam

    Tip in the mussels, clamp on the lid and steam for 4–5 minutes, shaking the pot once, until the shells have opened. Discard any that stay shut.

  5. 5

    Finish the broth

    Lift the mussels into warm bowls. Stir the cream into the pot liquid, simmer for a minute, then ladle the broth over the mussels and shower with parsley.

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Watch Chef Naeem Prepare This Recipe

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Chef’s tips

  • Buy mussels on the day you cook them and keep them in the fridge under a damp cloth, never in water.
  • The moment the shells open, they are done. Every extra minute shrinks them.
  • Pour the broth through a fine sieve if your mussels were sandy.

Storage advice

Eat on the day. Any leftover mussel meat can be picked from the shells, kept refrigerated overnight and stirred through pasta the next day.

Frequently asked questions

What if a mussel does not open?
Discard it. A closed shell after cooking means the mussel was not alive when it went into the pot.
Can I cook this without wine?
Yes — use fish stock with a squeeze of lemon for the acidity the wine would have provided.
How much should I serve per person?
Around 250 g as a starter and 500 g as a main course.

Nutritional information

Estimated values per serving. Actual values vary with portion size and ingredients.

Energy
310 kcal
Protein
26 g
Fat
17 g
Carbohydrate
9 g
Sodium
740 mg

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