Moules Marinière (AIP/Paleo) or “Sailor Style Mussels” are a fun way to get more fish into your diet. Traditional Moules Marinière are steamed in wine, but adaptations have been made here for the AIP diet.

I’ve had mussels only a few times in a my life – in the US and in France. Each time, there was a celebratory vibe in the air. Mussels are something you plop in the middle of the table, and everyone grabs. They are tactile. They are adventurous. They are messy. They’re also delicious and nutrient dense!
I would be remiss if I did not tell you one thing. There are certain uncomfortable realities of eating a diet which includes fish or meat. I did not know until I made mussels myself that they are…ahem… alive when you buy them. The man at the meat counter handed me the bag of mussels and said, “Be sure not to tie off the bag. That’s a live product.”
“Um, excuse me?”
“Yeah, they need air.”
Mussels are nutrient super stars
Please do not let this deter you from trying these powerfully nutritious mollusks. They contain so much healing goodness! Mussels are super high in three key nutrients: B12, selenium, and manganese. They’re also high in protein and Omega 3s. (See Dr. Sarah Ballantyne on the desired Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio here.) Give them a try!
Working with mussels
When you are ready to cook, scrub each mussel. Check it out carefully. If it is open, squeeze it a bit or tap it in the sink. If it doesn’t close back up, discard it. Even one bad mussel can ruin the dish.
Pull off any hairy beard-looking things. Knock off any barnacles with a knife. Your mussels should be closed, shiny and smooth before they are cooked.
About cooking with wine…

You may raise an eyebrow or two that wine appears in this recipe. Never fear. We can use wine in cooking on the AIP as long as it is cooked off. (Again, see Dr. Ballantyne on the subject here.) It is, in this recipe. If you feel twitchy about using wine, or you have someone in your house who suffers from alcohol addiction and you don’t want to have it in your house, you can just eliminate that step. The wine is there for flavor, not for the alcohol.
When you serve Moules, be sure to place an extra bowl on the table for the spent shells. They will taste best if you can dip them in some of the juices as you eat them. Serve with maybe Caesar salad or Apple Fennel Salad. Enjoy something new!
To your heath!
💗,
Wendi