Mussels

Being brought up on a farm in Cheshire I always thought the only mussels were the muscles needed to lift 50-pound sacks of corn, so it was later in life that I finally got around to tasting one of those tender morsels.

Mussels are popular in Europe and the U.S.A. and are commonly known as “the poor man’s oyster,” mainly due to their comparably low price.

 They are very easy and quick to cook, taking only a matter of minutes, and are high in protein and low in cholesterol and fat. They are also very rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, substances which are not produced by the body but are so important for a healthy heart and brain.

Mussels are actually bivalve mollusc filter feeders living on plankton and other microscopic organisms filtered from 10 to 20 gallons of water.  The feeding of freshwater mussels helps keep the waters of rivers and streams clean.

However, it’s the marine mussel that is mostly enjoyed by humans – the most popular being the blue mussel, which can be found in cold and warm waters all over the world, and the green-lipped mussel which is native to the waters of New Zealand.

When buying mussels select only those with a tightly closed shell, avoiding any that are open and do not close when tapped sharply with a knife. Scrub the shells removing any barnacles, under cold running water and pull off their ‘beards’ (the mass of fibres sticking out from between the two shells) using a sharp knife.

If you have collected the shellfish yourself, leave them to stand in a bucket of sea water for several hours, changing the water once or twice. Do not put them in fresh water as this will kill them. Add one or two handfuls of flour or cornmeal to the water to help clean the stomachs. (Those bought from a shop will already have been purged of sand etc.)

After this, mussels need very little cooking. They can be steamed in a tiny amount of liquid because when they open up during cooking they release a lot of their own liquid, producing a very tasty sauce.

Here is a very easy recipe to try. For two people, melt a little butter in a sauté pan and gently fry some chopped shallots and a little crushed garlic. Add about a cup of white wine, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and then add the mussels (about 8-10 per person) and steam with the lid on, shaking the pan gently.  After about five minutes the mussels will start to open, and must be removed from the pan with a slotted spoon, as they will be cooked just right. Discard any which do not open.

To the remaining juices in the pan, add two tablespoons of cream, a little salt, pepper and chopped parsley. Cook for a few minutes stirring the cream into the cooking juices, thicken with a little cornflour and water, if required, then pour over the mussels and serve with some crusty bread to dip into the sauce.

Also try the following grilled green mussels on the half-shell with cumin and coriander recipe:

For four people as a starter you need:
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
25g butter softened
25g brown breadcrumbs
12 frozen green mussels on half shell
Black pepper

1. Beat together the garlic, herbs, cumin and butter.
2. Stir in the breadcrumbs and the black pepper.
3. Put a spoonful of the mixture onto each mussel and place under the grill for about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve garnished with some chopped parsley or coriander.