Steamed mussels with garlic and parsley

If there is a perfect recipe for a quick dinner, one of those when you barely have time to cook, it's steamed mussels with garlic and parsley. It’s ready in minutes and the result is extremely tasty. Also, this is a food with many health benefits. They’re fantastic!

Mussels are an important source of vitamins, have anti-inflammatory properties thanks to their high omega-3 fatty acid content and provide a great supply of minerals such as iodine, calcium, and iron, among others. In addition, note their low fat content, so this recipe is a safe bet — it's great for the whole family, young and old.

If you want to cook them simply and practically, I recommend the KitchenCraft enamel mussel pot, an ideal mussel steamer that will have them ready in no time. Thanks to the design of its lid, which acts like a smaller pot, it generates steam and retains heat (and the steam produced) while they cook. A lid that, with its double function, is perfect for leaving the shells as you enjoy the mussels.

Choose the variety of mussel you prefer — here’s the recipe.

KitchenCraft enamel mussel pot

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 kg of mussels
• ¼ cup of white wine
• Chopped parsley

To accompany:

• A baguette sliced.
• Some garlic cloves or garlic butter (you can see the recipe here)

Preparation

1. Place the pot on the heat with the oil and let it warm up.
2. Add the garlic and lightly sauté it, without letting it brown too much.
3. Add the cleaned mussels, stir a little to mix them with the garlic and oil, and increase the heat.
4. Pour in the white wine and put the lid on the pot.
5. After a couple of minutes, lift the lid and stir the mussels again. Put the lid back on the pot.
6. Let them cook for a few minutes (about 6 to 8 minutes) and lift the lid to check that they have opened.
7. If you see they’re ready, sprinkle the chopped parsley on top and serve immediately.
8. Serve the mussels with slices of toasted bread rubbed with a little garlic or spread with garlic butter. Or with plain bread to dip in the sauce.
9. Once at the table, leave the lid to discard the mussel shells.

NOTES:

• If you like mussels with lemon, you can add one cut into quarters while cooking them or just before serving, as you prefer.
• As you can see, this recipe is so simple to prepare that you’ll have it ready in no time. The most labor-intensive part is cleaning the mussels if you don’t buy them already cleaned. Some prefer to clean only the shells, without removing the beards (keeping them clean, of course). To clean them well, use a knife and scrape the shell to remove any encrustations. Then rinse them under running water.
• When you clean them, discard mussels with broken shells or those you see open (if you see some slightly open, you can tap the shell to check that they close).
• The broth left after cooking them can be kept to use together with fish stock when you cook fish dishes, whether rice, seafood stews, cuttlefish meatballs, or chickpeas with prawns.