Bourbon and Bacon Steamed PEI Mussels Recipe

Put mussels on your menu with this quick and easy Bourbon and Bacon Steamed PEI Mussels recipe!  Packed with flavor, this impressive dish is super simple to make ... and ready from start-to-finish in about 20 minutes flat.  Thank you to the Mussel Industry Council of Prince Edward Island for sponsoring this recipe's creation and this post.  I have received compensation for sharing this post, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Having grown up in New England, fresh seafood was abundantly available and easy for us to get.  And oh how I loved to eat it! Living that close to the coast and harvest areas for wonderful shellfish, it was always so fresh and tasty.

We could readily get our hands on just-caught Maine lobsters, clams dug from the tidal sands, bay and Atlantic sea scallops, and freshly-harvested Prince Edward Island mussels, to name just a few of my favorites.

Now that I've moved to The South?

I'm happy to report I haven't had to give up on my fresh Northern seafood fix!

Because beauties like these tasty little mussels are packed fresh, shipped, and available in most supermarkets and seafood shops all throughout the country.

Which made it very easy for me to partner up with the Mussel Industry Council of Prince Edward Island to create a totally easy, totally tasty fun mussels appetizer recipe to share with you featuring fresh Prince Edward Island mussels ~ these yummy Bourbon and Bacon Steamed PEI Mussels.

But the Mussel Industry Council of Prince Edward Island didn't just team up with me  to share a fabulous quick and easy mussels recipe.  No, they teamed up with 12 wonderful food bloggers to create fun recipes featuring mussels ... and you  get to vote on which recipe you think is the best!  And just by placing your vote, you'll be entered for a chance to win a TRIP FOR 2 to PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND!

Now I mean, I may be biased, but I totally think this Bourbon and Bacon Steamed PEI Mussels recipe is the BEST.  Don't you?

** Follow the instructions in the voting widget below to cast your vote & enter for your chance to win a TRIP FOR 2 to PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND! **

Voting and entry open from March 27, 2017 at 12:00 am Eastern to April 17, 2017 at 11:59 pm Eastern.  Open to residents of the United States' contiguous 48 states age 18 or older only. Click this link to view full contest rules.

#PEIMusselsOnTheMenu

I have such wonderful childhood memories of my Mom cooking fresh seafood with traditional New England recipes and ways.  But when it came to creating this mussels recipe, I wanted to combine my Northern roots with my now-Southernized cooking.

And what says "The South" more than the fabulous flavor combination of bourbon and bacon?  I decided this tasty combo just had to be tried out for steaming mussels.

I will admit, though, I was concerned bourbon would be a bit too strong of a flavor for the mussels and end up overpowering them.

But that concern was quickly put to rest upon taking the first bite of these booze-steamed mussels.

The bourbon and bacon flavor with mussels is divine!  Bourbon lends a really nice touch of sweet-smoky flavor to the mussels, and bacon gives the dish a wonderful richness.  Just perfect to serve up with some crusty bread as a flavorful and fun mussels appetizer.  Or, pair with some pasta for a main course if you prefer.

Not only is this mussels appetizer super tasty though, it's also super quick and easy to cook.

 

Start by picking up some beautiful Prince Edward Island mussels at the seafood counter of your local supermarket or seafood store, and then just give them a nice little rinse under the faucet.  Typically, these little beauties come already debearded and clean, so there's not much prep work to do with them once you get home.  Which is nice.

Fry up a few slices of bacon and then get some chopped fresh parsley, shallots, and garlic ready to season your bourbon broth for steaming the mussels.

Saute shallots and garlic in the bacon drippings , then add bourbon and a bit of water to the pot. Once the bourbon broth is boiling, toss in the mussels, cover the pot, and let them steam for about 5 minutes.

That's it!  Cooking mussels is indeed pretty easy, isn't it?

Slide the mussels onto serving plates, drizzle with the bourbon broth, and top with crumbled bacon and a bit more chopped fresh parsley to serve up one amazingly delicious PEI mussels appetizer.

Quick, easy, and fun fresh seafood that's sure to be enjoyed by all.  I mean, with fresh Prince Edward Island mussels, bacon, and bourbon? ... what's not to love?

Check out these other super tasty seafood appetizers:

• Buffalo Steamed Mussels
• Garlic & Dill Marinated Shrimp
• Super Easy Shrimp & Cream Cheese Appetizer
• Crab Crescent Bites
• Crab Roll-Ups
• Hot Crab Dip
• 3-Ingredient Shrimp Cocktail Dip
• More appetizers & snacks

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

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Appetizers & Snacks

Southern

Yield: 2 pounds mussels

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Bourbon and Bacon Steamed PEI Mussels

Put mussels on your menu with this quick and easy Bourbon and Bacon Steamed PEI Mussels recipe! Packed with flavor, this impressive dish is super simple to make ... and ready from start-to-finish in about 20 minutes flat.

prep time: 8 Mcook time: 12 Mtotal time: 20 M

ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Prince Edward Island (PEI) mussels
• 8 slices bacon
• 1 T. unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 c. minced shallot
• 1/3 c. water
• 1/2 c. bourbon
• 1/4 tsp. kosher or sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

instructions:

How to cook Bourbon and Bacon Steamed PEI Mussels

1. Rinse fresh PEI mussels under tap water. Tap any mussels that are still open and discard those that do not close after being tapped and rinsed. If any have the sticky wiry membrane referred to as a “beard” remaining (most will not, but you may see one or two), remove the beard by grasping it between your thumb and forefinger and pulling firmly until it comes out; discard beard. Set mussels aside.
2. In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium to medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once drained and cooled, crumble bacon slices.
3. Leave about 2 tablespoons bacon fat in the bottom of the saucepan; drain the rest of the fat. Add butter to the bacon fat in the pan. Add shallots and garlic and saute over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes.
4. Add water, bourbon, salt, pepper, and parsley. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
5. Add PEI mussels. Cover and steam for 4-7 minutes or until the mussel shells open, gently shaking the pot a couple of times during cooking to move the mussels around.
6. Remove from heat, sprinkle with crumbled bacon, and garnish with additional chopped fresh parsley if desired.
7. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the bourbon-mussels broth.

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Created using The Recipes Generator

Visit the Prince Edward Island mussels website for more great recipes for cooking mussels.

This post was written by me on behalf of the Mussel Industry Council of Prince Edward Island.  Although I have received compensation for participating in this campaign, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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