Creole Mussels with Rice

Name: Creole Mussels with Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Creole
Ingredients: 1 cup converted long-grain white rice; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided; Kosher salt to taste; 1/2 onion, diced; 3 stalks celery, diced; 2 large plum tomatoes, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning; 3/4 cup dry white wine; 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded; Fresh parsley, chopped, for topping

Recipe GLPR1317f5f659eb7d

Creole

Main Course

35 min

516 cal

Servings: 4

Stovetop

This traditional Creole dish features tender mussels in a rich, aromatic broth made with tomatoes, celery, onion, and classic Cajun seasonings, served over buttered rice. The wine-enriched sauce comes together quickly while the rice simmers, making for an elegant yet approachable seafood meal.

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Ingredients

1 cup converted long-grain white rice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

Kosher salt to taste

1/2 onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

2 large plum tomatoes, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

3/4 cup dry white wine

2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded

Fresh parsley, chopped, for topping

Directions

In a saucepan, combine the rice, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
While the rice cooks, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and celery, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, about 8 minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and Cajun seasoning to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 2 minutes.
Pour the dry white wine into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
Add 1 cup water and the cleaned mussels to the pot. Season lightly with salt, cover, and cook until all the mussels have opened, 4 to 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed.
Fluff the cooked rice with a fork and divide evenly among four serving bowls. Top each portion with mussels and broth from the pot. Garnish generously with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

This recipe demands fresh mussels, which are routinely available at Harris Teeter's seafood counter and Publix, though Friday or Saturday is safer than Tuesday for peak freshness and selection in Charlotte. The other ingredients are pantry staples or produce finds at any major chain; cost per serving lands around $5 to $6 depending on mussel pricing that week. The 35-minute window is honest for cooking but glosses over mussel cleaning and debearding, which adds 10 minutes if you're starting from whole live mussels; clarify that with your fishmonger. This is a weeknight winner for a family that tolerates shellfish and doesn't demand leftovers—mussels don't reheat well, so plan to finish it the same night, and the rice soaks up the Creole broth beautifully as it cools.