Mussels deserve your attention on weeknights. An affordable and accessible protein, they also happen to cook in less time than it takes to boil water. As the bivalves steam, they release a briny liquid, further perfuming the buttery, sake-fortified miso broth. Load up each bowl with a few good ladles, slurping every drop with an assist from crusty bread or warm rice. And why not enjoy the rest of the bottle of sake alongside your meal?
The seafood counter at your supermarket should sell rinsed and debarred mussels, but it’s easy to do at home. Discard any with cracked shells. Gently tap open raw mussels on a counter to see if they slowly close; if they do, those are okay to use. Swish them in a water-filled salad spinner or colander fitted inside a bowl, draining and refilling until water runs clear (give any especially dirty ones a scrub with a sponge). Use a towel to pull off the fibrous beard and set on a towel-lined tray in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
More seafood dinners this way: Avgolemono Seafood Stew; Spaghetti alle Vongole; and Gorgeous Green Shrimp.
Recipe information
Total Time
20 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place 2 Tbsp. scallions from 8 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal, in a small bowl and set aside for serving.
Step 2
Melt 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and remaining scallions to pot and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. white miso paste and ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and cook until miso is broken up and incorporated into butter, about 20 seconds. Pour in 1 cup dry sake or dry white wine and stir to combine, then add 3–3½ lb. mussels, scrubbed, debearded. Cover pot and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, shaking pot occasionally, until mussels open, 5–7 minutes (discard any that do not open). Remove pot from heat.
Step 3
Squeeze 1 lemon half over mussels. Cut remaining 1 lemon half into wedges for serving. Taste broth and season with kosher salt if needed.
Step 4
Ladle mussels and broth among shallow bowls, then scatter reserved scallions over. Serve with country-style bread or steamed white rice if desired and lemon wedges for squeezing over.
