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Fish, South and mountains

Stuffed mussels Sète style with rice

Stuffed mussels Sète style are mussels filled with a sausage meat, garlic and parsley stuffing, simmered in a white wine tomato sauce. For 4 people, this recipe takes 70 minutes and a medium skill level, at about €3.90 per person. The key to success is closing each mussel properly before cooking, so the filling stays inside.

Tonight, we're having fun with stuffed mussels Sète style, simmered in a little tomato sauce that sings of the South.

Stuffed mussels Sète style with rice
Total time
1 h 10
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.90
Calories per person
580 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

This dish asks for a bit of patience while you stuff the mussels one by one, but the effort pays off. The sausage meat filling, scented with garlic and parsley, melts slowly into a tomato sauce sharpened by white wine. Plain rice served alongside soaks up that sauce and rounds out the plate without ever covering up its flavor.

This southern French recipe wins kids over as soon as they catch on to the game of opening each shell to find the filling inside. Plan it for a Sunday or an evening when you have a bit of time ahead of you, so you can stuff the mussels without rushing. It works just as well for a family dinner as for guests, since that fragrant tomato sauce wins everyone over.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Large mussels 1.5 kg

Butcher

  • Sausage meat 250 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Parsley 1 sprigs
  • Onion 1

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 600 g
  • Dry white wineoften in the pantry 10 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Mollusks

The step by step recipe

  1. Open the mussels raw with a small knife, keeping the hinge intact, or steam them open for 2 minutes to save time.

    Save half of their filtered liquid, you'll add it to the sauce for extra flavor.

  2. Mix the sausage meat with the chopped garlic and parsley, then fill each mussel with a small knob of stuffing and close it back up.

    Don't pack it tight, the filling needs to stay loose to cook through.

  3. Sweat the onion in the olive oil, add the white wine, the tomatoes and a bit of the mussel liquid. 10 min

    A small piece of sugar or a grated carrot smooths out tomatoes that are too acidic.

  4. Place the stuffed mussels in the sauce, cover and let simmer on low heat, turning them halfway through cooking. 30 min

    Don't stir the pot, tilt it gently instead so you don't break the mussels apart.

  5. Cook the rice in salted water and serve it with the mussels and the hot sauce. 11 min

    Put a bowl on the table for the empty shells, it makes things easier for everyone.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick mussels that are fresh and on the larger side, they're easier to stuff and hold their filling better during cooking.
  • Chop the garlic and parsley finely so they spread evenly through the filling, without big pieces that make closing the shells harder.
  • Let the tomato sauce simmer on very low heat, a hard boil can pop the mussels open before the filling has finished cooking.

The variations

  • Swap the sausage meat for chicken sausage meat for a lighter tasting filling.
  • For a vegetarian version, stuff the mussels with a mix of breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley and parmesan instead of meat.
  • To go faster with impatient kids, steam the mussels open and serve the filling separately, rolled into small meatballs browned in the sauce.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of dry white wine
  • Bread for the sauce
  • A simple green salad

Storage

Stuffed mussels keep for 1 day in the refrigerator in a closed container, no longer, since they're already cooked shellfish. They don't freeze well, the mussels turn rubbery. Reheat gently in a covered pot with a little water, without letting it boil hard.

Questions about this dish

Can you prepare stuffed mussels ahead of time?

You can stuff the mussels a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Cook the sauce and the mussels right before serving so the filling stays moist and the mussels stay firm.

How do you properly close stuffed mussels before cooking?

Use a thin string around the shell or cross two toothpicks over the opening. This keeps the filling from escaping into the sauce while it cooks.

Can you replace the sausage meat in this recipe?

Yes, chicken sausage meat or even plant based sausage meat work well. Keep the same amount, 250g, so the filling stays generous in each mussel.

What should you do if some mussels stay closed after cooking?

A mussel that stays closed after cooking should not be eaten, it's a sign it wasn't good before cooking. Just set it aside when serving.

How long does it take to make stuffed mussels Sète style with rice?

Count 1 h 10 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in stuffed mussels Sète style with rice?

About 580 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does stuffed mussels Sète style with rice cost?

About €3.90 per serving, or €15.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains mollusks. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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