Drunken Loaded Mussels
These drunken loaded mussels recipe came about because I loved the mussels at one of my favorite New York City pizzerias, Arturo’s, in the West Village. We lived in the building the pizzeria was at so you know I had plenty of it. The we moved to New Jersey where the trip into the city was a bit tedious so I had to find a way to replicate theirs. Me being who I am and twisting every recipe I recreate, I went and added peppers, corn, red pepper flakes and used shallots.
I honestly have no idea how they made theirs but I tried to go by my taste buds. And in this recipe, I am proud to say I have surpassed theirs by far which is so exciting!
Can I substitute mussels with clams?
Absolutely! I once made it with clams, cooked linguini and made it the base. Sprinkled generously with parmesan cheese and it was a full meal.
How I clean my mussels
Most mussels you’ll find are farm-raised, which is great when it comes to cleaning them. Wild mussels can be full of sand and debris; farm-raised mussels arrive pretty clean. But you must still give them a good rinse.
I normally place the mussels in cold water with some ice to keep the water cold but you can also place the mussels in a colander in the sink and run water over them while you clean them.
I clean by scrubbing brush to rub off any debris like seaweed, sand, barnacles, or mud spots that could be on the shell.
If you find any mussels with open shells, lightly tap that mussel against the side of the sink. If the mussel closes up again in response to this turmoil, it’s alive. If it doesn’t move, discard it.
Important note about mussels after cooking
If after cooking your mussels, you find any that didn’t open, discard them. They are no good. I tend to throw away even when slightly open because I will not take any chances.
Try my other seafood recipes!
Shrimp and Bacon Stew
Dominican Chofan (Fried Rice with Shrimp)
Mini Crab Empanadas
Baked Crab Legs
Lobster Shrimp Ravioli with Crab
Drunken Loaded Mussels
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter I used unsalted
- 1 – 1/2 tsp garlic minced
- 1/4 red bell pepper sliced and slices halved, other color fine too
- 1/4 orange bell pepper sliced and slices halved, other color fine too
- 1/4 small onion chopped
- 1/4 cup white shoepeg corn, I use Green Giant canned sub with yellow corn if needed
- 1/4 tsp Bijol condiment or a few saffron threads
- zest of a lemon reserve lemon, slice in wedges for serving
- 1 cup preferred white wine I used Pinot Grigio
- 1 cup chicken broth
- red pepper flakes to taste they are spicy, add as desired, or leave out
- 1/2 tsp finely chopped parsley
- 2 lbs mussels cleaned thoroughly
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat.
- Add shallots and allow to develop it's sweetness for about 1 minute.
- Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add peppers, red pepper flakes (if desired), black pepper, Bijol (or saffron) and stir well.
- Add lemon zest. Stir.
- Add wine and reduce to about half.
- Add the chicken broth and corn, cover and bring to a boil.
- When its up to a boil, add the mussels. Cover and cook for about 4 minutes.
- After the 4 minutes, stir to make sure the broth is over the opened mussels.
- If any mussels remain unopened, give it another minute.
- Once that minute is up, remove the mussels to a serving dish.
- Make sure that you discard any mussels that didn't open up.
- Drizzle the broth over the mussels.
- Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.
- Cut the lemon you zested into wedges and place around the mussels. These you will squeeze, if desired, over the mussels.
- Serve with toasted or grilled bread to soak up the broth.
