Recipe for Steamed Mussels in Cream Sauce and Wine using seasonal mussels from October to December

As the year moves into its latter half and the weather turns chilly, warm broth naturally comes to mind. Among soups, mussel soup is especially popular in autumn and winter for the appealing spicy kick of its pale broth. Mussels are in season from October to December, making the cold months a good time to enjoy them. Let's look at a recipe using mussels.

Mussels

While side dishes using dried mussels or spicy mussel soup are great, if you are looking for something a bit more exotic and special, why not try making steamed mussels with cream sauce and wine? The cooking method is not complicated, so anyone can easily make it. The ingredients needed are 500g of mussels, 1/6 of an onion, 1/4 of a celery stalk, 1/2 cup of white wine, and a bit of minced parsley. You can use pre-made cream sauce or make it yourself. If making it yourself, you will need 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of flour, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and a bit of salt and pepper. First, wash the mussels by rubbing the shells together, then remove any foreign substances and the beards attached to the shells. In a pot, add the mussels, coarsely chopped onion, celery, and white wine, then cover with a lid and boil until the mussels are cooked. At this time, do not discard the broth from boiling the mussels; set it aside. Later, melt butter in another pot, add flour, and sauté for 1–2 minutes, then add the mussel broth and boil over medium heat. Once the broth boils, add the cream sauce. If making the cream sauce yourself, add heavy cream and sugar and boil until thickened, then season with salt and pepper. Once the sauce has boiled somewhat, add the mussels back in, toss them to warm through, and plate them to finish.

[Fam Times = Reporter Kim Ji-su]