Steamed Mussels With Bacon & Beer
My steamed mussels are steamed with chopped bacon, beer, garlic, onion, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, butter, and a pinch of paprika. A delicious and easy way to steam mussels.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 pounds mussels rinsed and beards removed
- 2 cups beer of choice blonde ale, pale ale, or NEIPA
- 3 strips thick-cut bacon or pancetta chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced/sliced
- 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- pinch of paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- Dash crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Rinse mussels under cool water and remove beards if any. Discard damaged shells or any that do not fully close on their own when rinsing or gently tapping on the counter. These are dead and should not be consumed.
- In a large covered saucepan on medium-low heat, cook bacon/pancetta until browned, 3-4 minutes. Do not discard bacon fat. Add garlic, onion, butter, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until onion is tender. About 2 minutes.
- Add beer and mussels. Stir, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes until shells open up. Garnish with chopped parsley, stir, and serve immediately in a bowl with beer broth. Serve with toasted french bread for dipping.
Notes
We also like to serve up with some buttered, toasted French bread. Dipping in the garlicky broth at the end is heaven.
Mussels should be stored cool or over ice in the grocery store. If not, please look elsewhere.
Mussels are alive when purchased. Do not seal the bag when storing or they can suffocate. It's best to use them within 24 hours of purchasing.
If you don't like beer you can substitute it with water or even white wine.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/2-1 lb (about 20 mussels) | Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.2g | Protein: 37.3g | Fat: 14.6g | Saturated Fat: 6.2g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 927mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 0.9g