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
Moules Marinière (AIP/Paleo)
Course: Appetizers, MainCuisine: AIP, Paleo, FrenchDifficulty: Medium4
servings35
minutes15
minutesMoules Marinière (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.
Ingredients
2 pounds mussels
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup chopped shallots
3 sprigs each thyme and flat-leaf parsley, not chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
Chopped parsley and lemon wedges for garnish
Directions
- One by one, rinse and brush each mussel under cold, running water. Pull off anything that looks like a fuzzy beard. If there are any that are open, squeeze them a little, or tap them in the sink. If it won’t close, discard it. One bad mussel can ruin the dish.
- In a large chef’s pan, heat the EVOO over medium high heat. Add garlic, shallots and herbs. Sauté until garlic and shallots are soft.
- Turn heat to high. Add wine. Sauté until wine has cooked off.
- Immediately turn heat down to medium high. Remove the herbs. Add mussels, lemon juice and broth. Cover and cook for about 4 minutes, or util the mussels have opened. Shake the pan occasionally as they cook.
- Garnish with handfuls of chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
- Serve! You can put them in a big bowl with their liquid in the middle of the table so everyone can grab, or serve in individual bowls with liquid.
Notes
- Remember to place an extra bowl on the table for the spent shells.
- 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.
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