Portuguese-Style Mussels in Garlic Cream Sauce (2024)

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Portuguese-Style Mussels in Garlic Cream Sauce (1)

Last December, Jack and I received a gift certificate to a Portuguese restaurant from our oldest daughter Courtney and her husband Ken. (They know we love going out to dinner – so it was a perfect gift!)

The restaurant, Cotali Mar, is located in New Bedford – a community along the southern coast of Massachusetts with a rich history as one of the most important whaling ports in the world. That same southern Massachusetts coastal area is also home to the largest Portuguese-American community in the United States. Even today, many of the residents still follow their ancestor’s customs with food, religion and community. (So it is very safe to say – a restaurant in New Bedford is one of the places to go for authentic Portuguese food!)

Portuguese-Style Mussels in Garlic Cream Sauce (2)

This past weekend, with our 9-year-old at a sleepover, Jack and I finally used our gift certificate on a date night at Cotali Mar. Our meal was delicious – but one dish really stood out to both of us as our favorite – Portuguese-Style Mussels in Garlic Cream Sauce. (And of course – that inspired today’s recipe!)

The key to this delicious Portuguese-Style Mussels in Garlic Cream Sauce is found in a type of hot red pepper paste called Pimenta Moida. At the end of the summer, you’ll find many Portuguese families cooking up a batch of this special sauce and jarring it so they can cook with it all year long!

Portuguese-Style Mussels in Garlic Cream Sauce (3)

Pimenta Moida has a very unique flavor, and the Portuguese use it in many of their recipes. And – after grilling our waiter for the recipe – we confirmed that the pimenta moida was that magic flavor that made our Portuguese-Style Mussels in Garlic Cream Sauce so delicious!

If you happen to live near a Portuguese market, you are likely to find pimenta moida there – or you can buy it online here from this New Bedford-based market. It really is key to the delicious success of this dish! Right out of the jar, pimenta moida, it is hot, spicy and very salty – so it is meant to be used as an ingredient in recipes, not really as a condiment.

Portuguese-Style Mussels in Garlic Cream Sauce (4)

And, don’t forget to toast up some crusty bread when you make this Portuguese-Style Mussels in Garlic Cream Sauce…soaking up the delicious sauce is the very best part!

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh mussels, see below for preparation.
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup shallots, chopped small
3 tablespoons fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon Pimenta Moida, jarred crushed hot peppers
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced small
Zest from half a lemon
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced, divided
Juice from half a lemon
1/2 cup white wine, preferably Riesling
8 ounce bottle clam juice
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
French bread, sliced and toasted
Garlic clove to rub on toasted bread

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Instructions

To prepare mussels, scrub shells with a soft brush to remove any barnacles or scale. De-beard by pulling on the “beard” that protrudes from some of the shells and twist back and forth to remove. Do all of this while running under cold water. Any shells that stay open, discard. Keep mussels refrigerated until ready to use.
In a large sauté pan or skillet, melt butter and oil over medium heat and add shallots and cook for two minutes.
Add garlic, hot peppers, plum tomatoes, lemon zest, thyme and one tablespoon of parsley. Cook for five minutes.
Add lemon juice and stir mixture.
Add wine and cook for two minutes to reduce liquid by half.
Add clam juice, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for five minutes.
Increase heat to medium high, add mussels, cover and cook for two to three minutes or until mussels open.
Remove from heat and remove mussels to a serving bowl using a spider or strainer, leaving liquid and solids behind in the pan.
Return the pan to the heat and add cream and cook over medium high for two minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the two tablespoons of butter.
Pour this mixture over the mussels and sprinkle the remaining parsley over the finished dish.
Serve hot with toasted French bread slices that have been rubbed with garlic.
Discard any mussels that do not open.

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