Mussels and Clams in a Garlic Butter White Wine Sauce

So last night I had a craving for seafood. Mussels and clams to be exact. Austin has never had mussels, so clearly we had to have them for dinner.

I wanted to do something that is seemingly fancy, but actually pretty easy to make. I like mussels and clams because they do not take a long time to cook, and you hardly have to do anything at all.

For both the mussels and clams, the trick is to remove them from the heat as soon as they open up. Since they open at different times, just leave a bowl with a lid near the pan so you can easily transfer the open shellfish while the others cook.

It seems like a lot, I know. If you have any questions about the recipe, shoot me a message or leave a comment and I will gladly help!

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound mussels
• 1/2 pound clams
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 3.5 tbsp. butter
• white wine (about 2 cups, your choice of wine)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• pasta (optional)

Recipe

1. Start by rinsing your mussels and clams. This helps to get sand out of them so it does not end up in the dish.
2. In a large pan, heat 1/2 tbsp. of butter and add the diced onion. Cook the onions until they start to turn translucent and remove from pan. Set aside for later.
3. In the same pan, add 1 tbsp. of butter, the olive oil, and minced garlic. Cook on medium.
4. When the garlic is browned, add 1.5 cups of white wine to the pan and bring to a low boil.
5. Add the clams and 1 tbsp. more butter to the pan and cover. Check after 3-4 minutes to see if any clams are opened, and if so, set them aside in a covered bowl. Keep steaming the clams until all are opened.
6. When all clams are open, add more of the white wine if needed. (You want to make sure the entire bottom of the pan is covered in wine.)
7. Add the mussels ad remaining tbsp. of butter to the pan and cover. Mussels cook faster than clams, so check in about 3 minutes to see if any are opening.
8. Once the mussels start to open, add the onions and clams back into the pan.
9. Mix together to make sure all components are covered in the sauce.
10. When everything is opened up, you are ready to enjoy!

These can be eaten on their own, or you can serve over pasta like I did. If you serve with pasta, be sure to pour some extra sauce over the top- you wont regret it!

Please let me know what you think of this recipe! I would love some feedback!

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