This Instant Pot mussels recipe is fragrant and foolproof
I think long and hard before I add gadgets or tools to my kitchen, so whenever someone gives me an alternative or additional use for an appliance that really works, I do a little happy dance.
In February, a reader wrote into our weekly Food chat to ask about the utility of multicookers. Hannah Crowley, an executive editor for America’s Test Kitchen product reviews, was our guest that week, and she recommended various uses for the appliance, including for cooking seafood, something I had never done.
“Folks always think of meat for pressure cookers but since they create a steamy, enclosed environment, they’re great for fish because they keep it nice and moist and tender,” she wrote. “Mussels, too! When you steam mussels under pressure ... every shell opens nice and evenly, with perfectly plump and juicy mussels, more so than on the stovetop.”
Mussels are not complicated on the stovetop, but you do often have to remove open ones while waiting for stubborn specimens that are slower to open. Crowley made the Instant Pot method sound so temptingly easy, I had to try making them this way. I used ATK’s technique, but altered the recipe a bit to suit my taste. They were the best mussels I’ve ever made, and so easy. Indeed, every one of them opened perfectly. (If you have mussels that don’t open, discard them.) This is how I’ll make them from now on.
To start, you set the multicooker to saute and let it heat up for a couple of minutes. Then, you add a bit of oil, shallots and leeks (or your favorite mussel-friendly alliums or vegetables) and cook just until softened before stirring in garlic and pepper flakes. When your vegetables look and smell just right, you add the sorted, cleaned mussels and pour the wine, water or stock and lemon juice over them.
After that, you cover, lock the pot, leave your timer at zero and select the pressure-cook option. The mussels cook while the pot comes up to pressure, which takes from six to 10 minutes, depending on your
model and how full the pot is. Stay nearby, however, because you must do a quick release as soon as the appliance reaches pressure to prevent the mussels from overcooking.
No shaking. No stirring. You simply open the appliance and are greeted by the fragrant steam from the yummy sauce, which you’ll want to spoon over your mussels after you portion them out.
Don’t forget the crusty bread for dipping.