Mussels in Spicy Green Broth
Updated Feb. 1, 2024
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 8tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1teaspoon ground coriander, briefly toasted in a pan
- 1teaspoon ground cumin, briefly toasted in a pan
- 1teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1cup very finely chopped cilantro (from 1 large bunch)
- 2serrano chiles, very finely chopped
- 1teaspoon lime zest
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 4pounds mussels
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
- 1large shallot, thinly sliced or finely diced
- 2garlic cloves, smashed to a paste with a little salt
- 1cup dry white wine
- Lime wedges and a crusty baguette, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
933 calories; 42 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 63 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 63 grams protein; 1761 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Make the cilantro butter: Put softened butter in a bowl. Add ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric and black pepper. Mash together with a wooden spoon to combine. Add the cilantro and chiles, and mash well, extracting as much green cilantro juice as possible. Stir in lime zest and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Form the butter into a log, then wrap with waxed paper or film and chill to firm slightly.
- Step 2
As the butter chills, prepare the mussels: In a large bowl, wash mussels in cold water. Pull off any “beards” and discard (also discard any smashed or gaping mussels). Quickly rinse the mussels and set aside.
- Step 3
Put oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add shallot, season with salt, and let sizzle for a minute without browning. Add garlic and white wine, and turn heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Step 4
Add mussels, stir well, and cover. Cook mussels over high heat, stirring once, for 5 to 7 minutes, until all mussels have opened. Turn off heat and leave lid on.
- Step 5
To serve, cut cilantro butter into 1-inch chunks and stir into the mussels (4 tablespoons is probably enough, but use it all if you wish).
- Step 6
Ladle mussels and broth into heated wide shallow soup bowls. Place a bowl on the table to collect empty shells. Pass lime wedges along with a warm crusty baguette, for sopping up the broth.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Mike T
When I cook mussels they are often ready much quicker than the 5-7 minutes given in the recipe. 2-3 minutes is more than enough for them to open. After 5-7 minutes they will have lost much of their liquid and be dried out.
Pups
The ingredients to be finely chopped can go into a mini chopper. Then add the ground spices, process for a second and fold into the butter. The compound butter can be made earlier in the day and refrigerated.
mdurphy
I think the best process is to steam the mussels covered for a couple of minutes, then remove them to a separate bowl one by one as they open. They stay succulent, and if they cool to room temp by the time you serve them you will be pouring the hot sauce over them at the last moment.
Kevin O’Brien
Really good flavors, but the technique is a bit unusual. Why bother forming the butter into a log just to add it to the broth at the end? Why would this take 50 minutes to cook? Suggest making the butter as written, but just reserve. Double the shallots, triple or quadruple the garlic. Lightly sweat the shallot, then add 1Tbsp butter, sweat the garlic, then add the wine so as to bring out the flavors more. One could also add the compound butter earlier, rather than stirring into cooked mussels.
gdob
The fam thought this was wicked tasty. We had just eaten mussels, so used shrimp and did it more as a scampi - instead of compound butter we just cooked it all together, added the wine, then the shrimp, and stirred in the cilantro last, off the heat. Paired it with Paso Robles Grenache. A surprisingly good pairing!
C
Or you could "cheat" and use a Thai green curry paste. It wouldn't be exactly the same (of course), but it's still tasty.
J Sawyer
Delicious. Made half the butter as wouldn’t need extra. We loved it and will definitely make again.
Randi
The ingredients for this recipe read as a winner so we made it but: increased garlic, shallots, chiles and wine. The butter mixture was added at the sauté step to bring flavours together and we added an extra cup of wine for extra broth. We didn’t find any need for the butter to be refrigerated or to be made into log— too complicated. We simply stirred the mussels once or twice while they steamed in the buttered broth. All in all it was delicious especially with crusty baguette to dip in
dominiquelemagnifique
Excellent taste, however, the procedure has to be adjusted and streamlined.
dominiquelemagnifique
A very tasty final dish with good ingredients, however, the procedure has to be streamlined. We quadrupled the amount of garlic, doubled the wine and why refrigerate the butter mixture?
Dan
Tasty and easy. My only changes would be to nix the turmeric (overpowered the other flavors and not my favorite) and add the compound butter earlier in the cooking, maybe alongside the mussels when they go in.
T Hoffmann
What do you like to do with the extra butter? Less than half is used and it does carry a punch!
C
Or you could "cheat" and use a Thai green curry paste. It wouldn't be exactly the same (of course), but it's still tasty.
Kevin O’Brien
Really good flavors, but the technique is a bit unusual. Why bother forming the butter into a log just to add it to the broth at the end? Why would this take 50 minutes to cook? Suggest making the butter as written, but just reserve. Double the shallots, triple or quadruple the garlic. Lightly sweat the shallot, then add 1Tbsp butter, sweat the garlic, then add the wine so as to bring out the flavors more. One could also add the compound butter earlier, rather than stirring into cooked mussels.
gdob
The fam thought this was wicked tasty. We had just eaten mussels, so used shrimp and did it more as a scampi - instead of compound butter we just cooked it all together, added the wine, then the shrimp, and stirred in the cilantro last, off the heat. Paired it with Paso Robles Grenache. A surprisingly good pairing!
david
Thanks for the wine pairing tip - wish more would add this. Paso Robles is an underappreciated gem of a wine area.
HankT
This was the most disappointing recipe I have cooked from the NYT. The 10 minutes of prep time took me 1 1/4 hours. If you have tasteless mussels, you might want to try this but the result of this recipe compared to fresh mussels with moules marinieres is poor. Sorry M Tanis, you could do better.
barb
Really excellent. Very easy
Shee-Chang
Complex broth and fun making the cilantro butter
Carol
933 calories per serving? Over 1000 sodium? Something not right with those nutritional numbers! I encounter this alot!
Cheryl
I think the calories are for the entire recipe, meaning, using all 8 T. of butter. As for the sodium (1800 mg!!) if you are watching your sodium intake, as I am, there is no reason ever to add salt to mussels, or any shellfish, for that matter. You are eating creatures that spent their entire lives swimming in salt water. They are, as the French say, "pre-salé".
Pups
The ingredients to be finely chopped can go into a mini chopper. Then add the ground spices, process for a second and fold into the butter. The compound butter can be made earlier in the day and refrigerated.
Mike T
When I cook mussels they are often ready much quicker than the 5-7 minutes given in the recipe. 2-3 minutes is more than enough for them to open. After 5-7 minutes they will have lost much of their liquid and be dried out.
Roberta H
That's what I was thinking as well.
mdurphy
I think the best process is to steam the mussels covered for a couple of minutes, then remove them to a separate bowl one by one as they open. They stay succulent, and if they cool to room temp by the time you serve them you will be pouring the hot sauce over them at the last moment.
david
mdurphy is right - as soon as they open they're done and can be removed so you don't overcook them. Otherwise a great template - thank you!
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