Mussels

By Food & Wine
Updated January 18, 2017
These fantastic recipes for briny mussels include Tuscan tomato bread soup, creamy cavatelli and the classic Italian American fish stew, cioppino.
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Mussels with White Beans and Chorizo

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F&W Best New Chef 1996 Michael Schlow adds white beans and smoky chorizo to mussels for a hearty, substantial meal.

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Steamed Mussels with Tomato-and-Garlic Broth

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Mussels have three things going for them: They're cheap, quick to cook, and delicious. Using clean farmed mussels negates their one big drawback—the tedious chore of scrubbing and debearding.

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Creamed Mussels on the Half Shell

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Fennel Mussels with Piquillo Rouille

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Before Chris Kronner makes this dish, he forages mussels from the nearby coast. "You have to climb down a 75-foot rock face on a rickety ladder; it's intense," he says.

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Cavatelli with Mussels, Lillet and Dill

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The perfect match for this creamy cavatelli-and-mussels dish: Muscadet, a coastal wine that's superb with shellfish.

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Tuscan Tomato Bread Soup with Steamed Mussels

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There are many versions of bread soup; this one, based on traditional peasant fare, is as thick as a bread pudding. The soup is delicious on its own, but we think the steamed mussels with their broth make a wonderful addition.

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Fragrant Gigante Beans with Garlic Confit and Mussels

Credit: Photo © John Kernick
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Mussels are lean, but the huge hunks of bread and french fries they're usually served with are very caloric. Chef Michael Psilakis cleverly serves his mussels with fiber-rich beans instead to sop up the delicious juices.

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Broiled Mussels with Hot Paprika Crumbs

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A sparkling white wine would be great with these crispy, buttery mussels from Marcia Kiesel.

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Chile-Steamed Mussels with Green Olive Crostini

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Pancetta-Wrapped Mussels with Basil

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Crispy, briny and juicy, these ingenious mussels are a simple and unexpected fall dish; they're just as delicious roasted or grilled. Threading the shelled mussels onto skewers makes them easier to handle.

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Mussels Fra Diavalo

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F&W contributing editor Andrew Zimmern recommends using plump, wild Mediterranean mussels from Maine or Penn Cove mussels from the Pacific Northwest in this recipe. Simple and elegant, it’s a classic summer dish that is best served with lots of crusty bread for dipping.

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Angel Hair Pasta with Squid, Mussels and Zucchini

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Tagliatelle with Mussels and Tarragon

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This simple, strikingly black-and-white seafood pasta gets a double hit of anise flavor from Pernod and fresh tarragon.

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Mussel Soup

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With garlic, fennel, tomatoes, and a bit of orange zest, this soup has a nice Provençal feeling. And with cultivated mussels, which barely need to be cleaned, it's a snap to prepare. If you can't find mussels, try a fairly firm white fish, such as cod, instead—the soup will be different, but equally good.

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Mussel-and-White-Bean Stew

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Curried Cod and Mussels

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Alain Ducasse cooks mussels, then removes the top half of each shell before serving them with haddock and a curry sauce with mussel jus. Home cooks can serve the mussels with both of their shells and replace the haddock with easier-to-find cod.

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Curried Mussels in White Ale

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"I first made these mussels for Thanksgiving two years ago," says Sang Yoon. "I don't make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner—I cook outside the box and call it Sangsgiving ABT (Anything But Turkey). The mussels were such a hit, I put them on the menu at Father's Office." Adding creamy white ale to the intense curry broth helps mellow the flavors.

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Mussels with Black Bean and Chile Sauce

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Australian star chef Neil Perry loves the complex combination of Asian flavors in this dish: salty fermented beans, hot chiles and sweet, briny mussels.

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Cioppino with Mussels

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Andrew Zimmern packs his version of cioppino, the classic Italian-American fish stew, with incredible tomato flavor and lots of succulent seafood.

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Mussel-and-Spinach Bisque

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Seafood is an opulent start to Thanksgiving dinner, especially in this briny bisque studded with big, plump mussels and spinach.

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Mussels Steamed in Tomato Broth with Goat Cheese

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Mussel and tomato juice and celery seeds make a delicious broth to accompany steamed mussels. Look for farmed mussels; they're clean, so you'll only have to scrub them briefly.

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