Jump to:
About This Recipe for Beer Steamed Mussels
A few nights ago, just as I was opening a can of coconut milk to make fish curry, Chris came home with a giant net bag full of gorgeous PEI mussels. We love mussels. We also happened to have witbier. It wasn't very hard to put two and two together - Belgian wit mussels with coconut milk was going to replace the original dinner plan.
One of the best known Belgian dishes is moules frites (mussels and fries) and a very common way of preparing it is using a Belgian witbier to create moules à la bière (mussels with beer).
Belgian wit is also known as Belgian white ale, Witbier or bière blanche (white beer). It is an ale brewed with unmalted wheat in addition to the malted barley. The wheat proteins (and the yeast typically used) cause the beer to appear whitish when cold, hence the name. Today craft brewers frequently add a small quantity of flaked oats to the grain bill to create more haze and a softer body.
Witbier was originally brewed using a gruit blend instead of hops which included coriander and dried bitter orange. It almost went extinct as a style after WW II when people were all about crisp and brilliant lagers. A well crafted wit features subtle spiciness, pleasant citrusy notes and mild herbal/perfumey notes. None of these should overpower the rest, rather a balanced bouquet is considered a sign of greatness.
We found that Millstream Brewing Co. John's White Ale fit the bill perfectly. It is very refreshing (ABV 4.5% and IBU 10) with a crisp finish. We gladly gave up a bottle from our stash to steam the PEI mussels.
Witbier is a perfect partner to seafood as well as Thai curries and spicy food, fruit salsa and numerous deserts. I have to say that the way Chris prepared the mussels - combining the wit with coconut milk, garlic, shallots and ground coriander, created an absolutely delightful slurp-worthy broth.
How to Steam Mussels with Beer
While Chris was cooking the mussels I baked some fries (I know, I know, hard work). The original fries in moules frites are fried twice in order to be more crispy and I highly recommend that you try this method if you have time.
To dress up the fries, I simply dusted them with yellow curry powder mix once out of the oven - it made a huge difference and nicely complemented the coconut milk and Belgian wit mussels.
Chris used fresh basil and orange zest for extra fragrance and we happily paired our dinner with more of John's White Ale. Pictures notwithstanding (white light lamp kind of situation, again:) the Belgian wit mussels with coconut milk and curried fries are now my new favorite way to prepare the mollusks!
You Might Like
Bavarian Beer Cheese Dip
Beer Brine Recipe
Belgian Ale Rabbit Stew
Recipe
Steamed Mussels with Beer and Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh PEI mussels
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 shallots minced
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 12 oz Witbier
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- zest of half an orange
Instructions
- Clean and debeard the mussels, discard any open ones.
- In a large, deep saute pan (must have a lid) heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the garlic and shallots, stir, add the coriander and stir again.
- Add the beer, then the coconut milk and stir to combine. Let sauce simmer and reduce a little bit.
- Add all the mussels, stir to coat them with the sauce and cover with the lid. Cook until all the mussels have opened.
- Immediately transfer the mussels to a deep serving platter (to share) or individual bowls, pour the sauce over them and generously garnish with basil and orange zest.
- Serve with curried fries (or fresh naan) and pair with Belgian wit. Slurp any leftover sauce. Brag to your craft beer loving friends.
kristin mccarthy
oh my gosh another masterpiece. How have you not been on my blog radar before!
#bigfan
CraftBeering
Thanks Kristin! These really are one of our favorite things made for the blog. Recently made the exact same sauce for clams and our guests loved it:)
karrie @ Tasty Ever After
Mussels are my jam and they are so fresh (and inexpensive) up here in NH, so we eat them all the time. Trying your recipe next time we make them! I'm thankful for Belgian wit too (Belgian beers are my favorite) and baking fries is hard work (glad you got through it okay). Cheers! 🙂
CraftBeering
Cheers Karrie! Begian wit is what helps me get through many challenges in the kitchen:)
CraftBeering
You are lucky to have had mussels in coconut milk before:) It was totally my first time, we usually make garlic, butter and booze sauces or tomato based ones. I love the built-in spoon idea! Very cool:) Have a great week yourself Dawn!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Mussels in coconut milk is totally my jam and probably one of my fave ways to have mussels (that and a cream sauce with herbs). Love that you added beer to the mix and that basil and orange touch is just perfect. Bet that taste SOOOO good! Now you have me craving mussels 😉 Such a great idea putting the curry powder on the fries - I have to try that next time 🙂 We often use the shell to drink up the broth - savour every drop - built in spoon, lol. Thanks Milena! Have a wonderful week!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
This is the dinner dreams are made of! Curry is pretty much my everything and sounds SO good on some fries :). You've hit it out of the park once again, Milena! Happy Sunday!
CraftBeering
Thank you for the kind words Kelsie! Curry is the bomb! Makes such a difference:)