An Italian classic: juicy mussels coated in a creamy Gorgonzola sauce, brightened with garlic and white wine. A simple, generous recipe that stays true to tradition.
Ingredients
- 1000 g Fresh mussels (bouchot preferred)
- 150 g Gorgonzola dolce
- 200 ml Dry white wine (e.g., Picpoul de Pinet or Muscadet)
- 3 cloves Fresh garlic
- 30 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
- 20 g Unsalted butter
- 100 ml Heavy cream (30% milk fat)
- 1 bunch Fresh parsley
- to taste Fine salt
- to taste Ground black pepper
Method
- Prepare the mussels: rinse them thoroughly under cold water, remove the 'beards' (byssal threads), and discard any that remain open after tapping. Drain them in a colander.
- Peel and finely slice the garlic. Finely chop the parsley (reserve a few sprigs for garnish). Cut the Gorgonzola into small cubes. Take the butter out of the refrigerator so it can come to room temperature.
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven (wide enough to hold the mussels), heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. When the butter foams and smells nutty, add the sliced garlic. Sweat for 30 seconds without browning; the garlic should become fragrant and translucent.
- Pour in the white wine all at once and bring to a boil for 1 minute to cook off the alcohol. Add all the mussels at once, cover immediately, and cook over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Shake the pan once during cooking. The mussels are ready when all the shells have opened wide (discard any that remain closed).
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a large shallow serving dish or two individual plates. Cover with aluminum foil to keep them warm.
- With the heat still on, add the Gorgonzola cubes to the remaining cooking liquid. Whisk until the cheese has melted completely. Slowly pour in the heavy cream, stirring, and let it simmer for 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust the seasoning (be careful with the salt: the Gorgonzola and mussel juices are already salty). Season generously with pepper.
- Pour the hot sauce over the mussels, sprinkle with chopped parsley (and a few whole sprigs for presentation). Serve immediately with grilled country bread for mopping up the sauce.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 570.5 kcal
- Protein
- 33.87 g
- Carbohydrate
- 21.41 g
- Fat
- 34.76 g
- Fibre
- 2.43 g
- Calcium
- 175.7 mg
- Iron
- 0.37 mg
- Magnesium
- 14.54 mg