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Steamed Mussels with White Wine and Shallots

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  • Difficulty: easy
  • Video Length: 06:44
  • Course: Cooking Technique I: Saute, Boil & Steam WTF?

While it's true that steaming makes it impossible to burn food, you can still over-cook it (of course, undercooking is possible as well). This means that, when it comes to fish and mussels, cooking time is extremely important. One way to steam seafood is in a classic metal steam basket. Remember - if any of your mussels don't open during steaming, it means they were dead before cooking and should be thrown away. A second way of steaming seafood is to wrap it in wet cooking parchment and pop it in the oven. Just be sure to seal the parchment tightly so the steam can't escape.

Ariane Duarte (Season 5)

Ariane is the chef/owner of CulinAriane, a four-star restaurant located in Montclair, N.J. She was inspired to cook at a young age by her grandmothers. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, she worked at some of the best restaurants in the country before she and her husband, Michael, opened CulinAriane. While much of her time is spent at her restaurant, she loves spending time with her daughters, especially at the beach. She also enjoys entertaining for family and friends. Her strong belief is that anything can be fixed and to keep smiling.