Mejillones a la provenzal
Mussels with garlic and parsley
Mejillones a la provenzal: Patagonian mussels steamed with garlic, parsley and white wine, Puerto Madryn style
On the Atlantic coast around Puerto Madryn and the Golfo Nuevo, mussels from cold Patagonian waters are farmed and gathered in quantity, and seafood places along the rambla steam them a la provenzal, which in Argentina means lots of garlic and parsley. A splash of dry white wine goes into the pot; the alcohol mostly cooks off, but you can swap it for fish stock with a little lemon for an alcohol-free pot that tastes just as good. Serve with bread or chips to mop up the briny juices. Cooking mussels too long is the usual slip: they shrink and turn rubbery, so lift the lid as soon as most have opened. Before cooking, throw away any mussel with a broken shell or one that stays open when tapped; after cooking, discard any that stay shut. Chef's tip: keep the garlic in gently warm oil until it just smells sweet; brown garlic turns bitter and dominates the mussels.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ lb live musselsscrubbed and debearded
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- ¾ cup dry white wineor, alcohol-free, 150 ml fish stock plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 oz flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 lemoncut into wedges
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 3 ⅓ lb live mussels in plenty of cold water. Throw away any with cracked shells, and tap any open ones on the sink: if they don't close within a few seconds, discard them.
Step 2: Warm 4 tbsp olive oil in a large wide pot over a medium-low heat. Add 6 cloves garlic and ¼ tsp chilli flakes and stir until the garlic is fragrant and pale gold at the edges.
2 minStep 3: Turn the heat to high, tip in the mussels and pour over ¾ cup dry white wine. Cover tightly at once.
1 minStep 4: Steam, shaking the pot now and then, until most of the shells have opened wide.
4 minStep 5: Add ⅞ oz flat-leaf parsley and ½ tsp black pepper, put the lid back on and shake well to coat everything. Throw away any mussels that are still closed.
1 minStep 6: Spoon into warm bowls with the garlicky juices, scatter over the rest of ¼ oz flat-leaf parsley and serve with 1 lemon wedges.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mejillones a la provenzal take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of dry white wine?
- Stock with 1 tsp white wine vinegar per 120ml (½ cup).
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