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    Home » Seafood

    Guinness and Cream Mussels

    Published: Mar 17, 2020 · Modified: Mar 24, 2025 by Tammy Circeo · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    Yum
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Usually when we think about Irish food, our thoughts default to anything with potatoes, Shepherd's Pie, Irish stew, Soda Bread, cabbage, mashed Potatoes ... BUT why don't we think about seafood?! Ireland is pretty much surrounded by salt water! I've been doing some Irish recipe research and found that they do indeed have lots of seafood in their cuisine. So ... I'm using some of the best mussels on the planet to share with you Guinness & Cream Mussels. I was inspired by a recipe in a cookbook showcasing recipes from Irish Pubs.

    Two servings of Guinness & Cream Mussels in pottery bowls

    What are these "best mussels on the planet" you are touting?

    I live in the Pacific Northwest, near Seattle. Seafood is so fresh here and the coveted mussels come from Coupeville, WA, on Whidbey Island in Penn Cove. Yep! Some of the best! We refer to them as Penn Cove Mussels, plain and simple. Wherever you are, find the freshest and best you can!

    Washed and debearded mussels in a pottery bowl

    How to prepare mussels for Guinness and Cream Mussels


    Wash them well. Scrape off any excess barnacle-type growth. You can use a fish tweezer to do this. Barnacles are some type of weird underwater suspension feeder that attaches to other things. They are basically leeches and have little to no value except that they look really cool!

    Remove the beard. The beard is the little bit of hairy thing sticking out of the shell on one side. Some mussels have no beard and some have lots. Just be sure to get rid of it! The size of the mussel has no bearing on whether it has a beard or not.

    Make sure all mussels are closed. If they aren't, tap on the shell. Hello?! Hello in there! If they are fresh, they will close. If they don't, discard them.

    OK ... on to the meal!

    shallots, garlic, parsley, and thyme on a cutting board

    As most mussel recipes start out, this one starts with some aromatics being sauteed... shallots, garlic, parsley, and thyme.

    shallots, garlic, parsley, and thyme sauteed in a large Dutch oven

    Then the magic starts with a just bit of Guinness. Or a bit more if you want. Or save the rest to enjoy with your meal. You do you.

    Bottle of Guinness with a bottle opener
    Guinness Stout and cream added to the sauteed aromatics.

    Add the Guinness to the pot along with with cream. Be sure to temper the cream ... which means to bring it to the same temperature as what you are adding it to. You can do that easily by warming it on the stove or in the microwave.

    Mussels add to the pot to cook

    Add in the mussels and simmer for 6-8 minutes till all the mussels open. If any shells don't open, discard them. They don't love you and you shouldn't love them. They will make you sick.

    Large bowl of mussels with two servings dished up

    How to serve Guinness and Cream Mussels

    Serve Guinness and Cream Mussels with slices of hearty bread slathered with Irish (or at least, grass-fed) butter. Dip it into the that gorgeous broth and enjoy a beautiful meal.

    Bowl of Guinness & Cream Mussels with lemon wedge and bread

    Recipe

    Two pottery bowls of Guinness Cream Mussels with slices of sourdough bread

    Guinness and Cream Mussels

    Tammy Circeo
    Inspired by a recipe in an Irish Pub Cookbook
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 6 minutes mins
    Total Time 21 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Irish
    Servings 4 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 pounds fresh mussels debearded and rinsed in cold water
    • 2 shallots chopped small
    • 4 cloves garlic chopped small
    • 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
    • 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
    • ½ cup Guinness
    • ½ cup half-and-half
    • 2 Tablespoon butter Kerrygold
    • lemon wedges for serving
    • crusty bread for serving

    Instructions
     

    • Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
    • Add the shallots and saute until they are translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, thyme, Guinness, half-and-half, and butter.
    • Add the mussels and cover the pot. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the mussels open. Discard any that do not open.
    • To serve, dish the mussels into shallow bowls and ladle the broth over them. Serve with a lemon wedge and slices of crusty bread to sop up the juice.
    Keyword cream, guinness, mussels
    Yum

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    About Tammy Circeo

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chloe

      July 27, 2023 at 11:54 am

      This mussel recipe was amazing! Easy to prepare and delicious flavor!

      Reply
      • Tammy Circeo

        July 28, 2023 at 1:29 pm

        Thank you, Chloe! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    2. Cheri K.

      May 09, 2022 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing Recipe!!! Followed it exactly and was so impressed with the flavors! Will def. be making this again!

      Reply
      • Tammy Circeo

        May 13, 2022 at 1:17 pm

        Glad you liked it, Cheri! It's a favorite of mine!

        Reply
    3. Alison David

      April 16, 2020 at 12:06 pm

      This looks so delicious, and your photos are absolutely stunning! I just put in a big bulk seafood order (using this site to get a decent price, surprisingly! https://qualityseafooddelivery.com/) and I've been searching for recipes to try over the coming weeks. This is definitely going on the list. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Tammy Circeo

        April 17, 2020 at 3:56 pm

        Thank you so much! I would love tp know how you like it! Another great seafood place is http://www.taylorshellfish.com. They are in the Pacific Northwest (where I live) and ship all over the US.

        Reply

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    I have always loved nurturing and feeding people. My cooking style is influenced by my Southern parents, time living in Europe, and the foods available in the Pacific Northwest, where I lived for over 20 years. I cook from scratch and strongly support local farms and producers, believing that food plays a pivotal role in our quality of life.

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