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Portuguese-Style Mussels

Name: Portuguese-Style Mussels Recipe
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: 2 pounds (1 kg) mussels; 1 sweet onion(s); 2 sprigs parsley; 2 ounces white wine; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar; to taste salt; 1/2 lemon(s); red and green (1/2 each) bell pepper(s)

Recipe

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1 h 25 min
4 servings
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Contents
Ingredients
Steps
Reviews

This Portuguese-style mussels recipe is a pure seafood delicacy made with fresh ingredients and cooked in minutes.

Hit the heading to jump to it:

1. Ingredients
2. Nutrition
3. About Recipe
3.1. Which season is best for it?
3.2. Where can I buy the ingredients?
3.3. Can I substitute ingredients?
3.4. Can I make it part of a menu?
3.5. Which drinks pair well with it?
3.6. How long can I store leftovers?
3.7. Recipe tips & tricks
4. Steps
5. Reviews

Ingredients

Need to adjust?

Serves:

	2 pounds (1 kg) mussels
	1 sweet onion(s)
	2 sprigs parsley
	2 ounces white wine
	3 tablespoons olive oil
	2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
	to taste salt
	1/2 lemon(s)
	red and green (1/2 each) bell pepper(s)

And love - it is the main ingredient!

Nutrition

8 mussels

serving size

310

calories

27.3 g

protein

15.6 g

fat

11.5 g

carbohydrates

2.5 g

saturated fat

64 mg

cholesterol

0.6 g

fiber

690 mg

sodium

1.3 g

sugar

Please note that I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information is provided for reference only and is approximate. It is calculated using one of the online calculators, like this one.

Ingredients

2 pounds (1 kg) mussels
1 sweet onion(s)
2 sprigs parsley
2 ounces white wine
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
to taste salt
1/2 lemon(s)
red and green (1/2 each) bell pepper(s)

About recipe

This Portuguese-style mussels recipe is a pure seafood delicacy made with fresh ingredients and cooked in minutes.

Seafood takes a very important place in Portuguese cuisine. Portugal is surrounded by the ocean and has a huge variety of seafood products which lead to delicious recipes like this one.

Portuguese Style mussels with salsa

Mussels are always served fresh with salsa. It can be salsa verde or salsa with chopped and marinated peppers and onions. I love them both, but I think Portuguese Salsa Verde is definitely a winner. It gives so much flavor to the mussels.

Salsa verde with fresh bread

In Portuguese mussels are called “mexilhao”. This recipe is very traditional, and usually, mussels are served refrigerated.

Mussels are usually prepared before lunch or dinner and then served as appetizers in restaurants. You can grab a few and enjoy with delicious torrada com manteiga, which means toasted bread with butter.

One mussel with salsa verde on a white table

If you want to serve them as the main dish, you need to grab two pounds of them (one kilo) for a company of two.

Try this Wine Steamed Mussels recipe if you want to visit France this time. So good and super easy! 😉

How do you buy mussels?

Typically, mussels are sold in nets, or bags, so you can grab a fresh net and clean them at home.

Fresh mussels in a bag

How to choose mussels?

When you buy mussels, ask your local seafood store if they have fresh mussels in stock. It is better to buy fresh mussels as they taste better and fresher. But of course, if you don’t have fresh, you can buy frozen mussels.

What other ingredients do I need?

You will also need sweet onion, white wine vinegar, red and green pepper optional, olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley.

How to clean mussels?

When you open the bag or in my case it is a net, place mussels in cold water. Leave mussels for 1 hour at least. Some of them will open, and others – not.

You only need to choose the closed mussels.

Washed mussels in a bowl

If it is open or broken – throw them away. They are already spoiled.

Spoiled mussel on a table

You can clean the mussels under the running water and cut the “hair” with scissors (or tear off with your hands). I find this method is a little harder than scissors.

Once you clean the mussels, you’re ready to move on to preparing the rest of your ingredients and cooking the mussels quickly. With clean, fresh mussels and the right preparation, you’ll create a delicious and satisfying Portuguese-style mussel dish that’s sure to impress.

Can I add other flavors to these Portuguese-style mussels?

Absolutely, you can add some spices or herbs, such as dill or green onion, fresh chopped basil, chopped tomatoes, or dry oregano, it will change the flavor of this dish.

Mussels in a bowl with delicious salsa

Is wine used in this recipe?

Yes, I use simple table white wine. You can also use table red wine if you have it. You only need 2 ounces of wine. All alcohol will be evaporated during the cooking time. So, you can taste only delicious flavors. Wine is really optional for this Portuguese-style mussels recipe.

If you plan to serve this Portuguese-style mussels recipe as the main dish for dinner or lunch serve them with these Simple Boiled Red Potatoes.

You can also enjoy them with Sparkling Mango Raspberry Sangria.

Ready mussels in a big bowl with salsa

Made this recipe?

Please share your thoughts about this recipe in the comments below. What did you like the most? Did you make any modifications?

Share the recipe with your family & friends and tag @HelenaRecipes on social media if you’ve made it! 😉

Want another recipe?

Follow me on Pinterest and on the Food Bloggers’ Directory.
And check out these other yummy seafood recipes that you will love:

Video

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Watch this video on YouTube

Steps

1 Done 1 min	Prepare ingredients Prepare all ingredients.
2 Done 1 h	Soak & rinse mussels Grab a big bowl and place mussels in a cold water for an hour. Rinse mussels in cold water before cleaning.
3 Done 14 min	Clean mussels Clean all mussels and get them ready for cooking.
4 Done 6 min	Cook mussels Place a big pot on the stove. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and wine to a pot. Transfer the washed and cleaned mussels to a pot. Cover pan with a lid and leave covered for 3-4 minutes. Then, open the pot and give a good mix with a spoon. Continue mixing for another 3 minutes. After, you will see that mussels opened their shells.
5 Done 3 min	Make salsa Chop pepper and onion. Place onion in a bowl and rinse onion thoroughly with water. Transfer them to a bowl, add vinegar, olive oil and a little bit of salt. Mix together.
6 Done 1 min	Transfer & Combine Transfer the ready mussels to a serving bowl or plate and cover them generously with salsa.
7 Done	Serve Your Portuguese-style Mussels are ready. Enjoy!