Entrees Canadian

B.C. Mussels in Tomato-Wine Sauce

Straight from the great province of British Columbia, this recipe has always been a favourite when visiting family in Victoria. Serve with a side of great B.C. Merlot or Chardonney. West Coast mussels, white wine and crusty-bread diplomacy.

B.C. Mussels in Tomato-Wine Sauce

What It Is

Straight from the great province of British Columbia, this recipe has always been a favourite when visiting family in Victoria. Serve with a side of great B.C. Merlot or Chardonney. West Coast mussels, white wine and crusty-bread diplomacy.

Origin

The Dinner by the Minute source lists the origin as: Canada (British Columbia, Bella Coola).

Fun Fact

The real freshness test for a mussel is whether the shell is closed before cooking and open after, not any old wives' tale about size or colour. If it stays shut after cooking, it had already checked out before it hit the pot.

Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Temp
Stovetop, medium-high heat
Total
30 min
Servings
2 bowls
(a generous estimate, much like most cookbook authors)
Difficulty
moderate
Nut-Free
Diet
Nut-Free
Away Mission
75 min walk
(or 12 minutes arguing with a Klingon about honour)
#b-c-mussels-in-tomato-wine-sauce #canadian-west-coast #entr-es-mains

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup onion, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp white ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • Mussels, scrubbed and debearded (quantity not stated in parsed source)
  • Crusty French bread, optional

Steps

  1. In a large saute pan, melt the butter.
  2. Add the onions, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Bella Coola Cuisine The Nuxalk people lived in Bella Coola Valley, a steep sided valley within the coastal temperate rainforest ecosystem of the central coast of British Columbia. The geography of the region in which they lived dictated the lifestyle and culture of the Bella Coola tribe. Their staple diet of fish, seal and salmon, supplemented by wapato (Indian Potato) greens, seeds and berries.
  3. Add the garlic and tomatoes, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
  4. Add the wine, parsley, and bring to a boil.
  5. Add the mussels, cover, and cook until the shells have opened, about 4 minutes.
  6. Remove from the heat and discard any shells that do not open.
  7. Transfer to a large deep bowl and serve immediately. Make sure to have spoons available as this broth is good!
  8. Use your nice crusty french bread for dipping.

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Notes

Discard any mussels that stay open before cooking, or stay shut after — those are the ones you don't want on the plate.

Nutrition Facts
Per 1 bowl
Calories 340
Burning this off: roughly one intense session of Zamboni driving.
% Daily Value*
Fat 13.0 g 17%
Saturated + Trans 8 g 40%
Cholesterol 45 mg
Sodium 590 mg 26%
Carbohydrate 31.0 g
Fibre 4.0 g 14%
Sugars 9.0 g 9%
Protein 7.0 g
Potassium 600 mg 13%
Calcium 125 mg 10%
Iron 2.8 mg 16%
*5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot. Sodium levels calculated in a country with universal healthcare — and it's free, so don't worry about it too much.
A genuinely respectable nutrition profile. No red flags here — go ahead and feel a little smug about it.

Substitutions

Any dry white wine works, this isn't a bottle worth saving for a special occasion. Shallot can replace the onion for a milder result. Clams work here too if mussels aren't available.

Storage

Mussels are a same-day dish — don't try to save leftovers, the texture doesn't survive the fridge. Eat what you make.

Freezing

Not stated in the cookbook. Most cooked bases can be frozen in airtight meal-sized portions, but dairy sauces, potatoes and fresh garnishes may change texture after thawing.