Flex Your Mussels

Photo by Rob Robitaille

Strangely enough, the first time I ever made mussels was the first time I had ever eaten them.  I suppose that is kind of normal when you live in a small town with few fine dinning options.  If you want to try something new, you need to either spend a lot of time online, researching restaurants within a reasonable driving distance, or grill your foodie friends as to where they would recommend for the particular meal you are seeking.  I find that it is easier to do some research, which I would have to do anyway, then make it myself and save the time sitting in the car driving around.  Anyway, our local market built a brand new building and added a nice seafood section.  One of the things that caught my eye was the shellfish.  Not being one to walk away from a self perceived challenge, I picked up a bag of mussels and took them right home.  The hardest part of any new culinary adventure is talking yourself into buying the things.  At that point, however, I had already done my research and had a pretty good idea of how to prepare them.  Now, if you are at all squeamish, you best stop reading, because this is one of the few foods that you buy (and cook) while they are still alive.  Because of this, they require a bit of care and planning, which we will discuss.

There are several methods to cooking mussels, but I like the traditional steamed method which is basically, steaming them in a flavorful broth. There really isn't a recipe for this, as much as there is a technique, although you will see recipes for this all over the place. I enjoy them this way because the mussel is the star of the show.  They are also fun to eat with friends right from a communal bowl because there isn't a lot of chewing involved, so the conversation can keep going.  If you have never tasted mussels before, they are very rich and tender.  Not like a clam, which tend to be very firm, but more like an oyster.

If you choose to make mussels at home, I encourage you to do your research.  You will be eating something that grew up filtering its dinner out of the ocean, so you need to be informed.  After your research, if you are still confident, then go for it.  Just don't cut any corners.  You will find that, although there are a few hard and fast rules, it is really not that hard just a bit monotonous.  In fact, once you do it a couple times, it is actually not much worse than peeling shrimp.

So, go forth and boldly cook, and above all, have fun.

Steamed Mussels - The Technique

1. In a pot large enough to comfortably hold all your mussels, create a flavorful broth using some white wine, and aromatics.  I used minced shallots, minced garlic, and some thyme.
2. While the broth is simmering, clean the mussels (see instructions below)
3. Once the broth has reduced by about half or so, increase heat to high.
4. When the broth is boiling, dump the mussels into the pot and cover with the lid.
5. Cook them about 2-4 minutes, shaking the pot a few times to move them around.  Once they are all open, they are done.  Anything past that, you are overcooking them.
6. Remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon to a communal bowl, or to individual bowls or plates.
7. Finish the sauce with some butter and or cream.  You shouldn't need to add any salt.
8. Pour the sauce over the mussels and garnish with some fresh parsley and serve with some toasted bread to sop up the sauce (which is almost as good as eating the mussels, if you ask me).  You won't need any silverware since they come with their own spoons.  I may also note that this is probably a meal best eaten with people you know fairly well because it can get a bit messy.

My Advice on Purchasing Mussels

1. Buy them the day you intend to make them.
2. Figure about 1/2 pound of mussels per person as part of a meal, or 1 pound if serving as the main course.
3. Visit the seafood counter last, so you can go right through the checkout and head home.
4. Ask when they arrived at the store.  If they have been there a few days, better check out the meat section.
5. If they are fresh, ask for the ones that are still in the cooler on ice.  The less they are handled, the better.
6. Ask to inspect them.  The guys at my market are more than happy to let me do that.  The mussels should still be in the net bag, they should be ice cold.  Take a sniff because the nose knows.  They should smell of the sea.  If you close your eyes, and ask yourself, would I swim in these waters, and you answer yes, then you are ready to purchase.  If you detect any funky odors, don't buy them.  Trust me on this one.  You want FRESH!
7. Because they are alive, I have them wrapped in butcher paper, but never in a plastic bag.  Since I only have a five minute drive home, this works quite well.  If you have to travel longer than, say 20 minutes on a warm day, you should plan ahead and bring along a cooler with ice.
8. Go right home. 
9. Once you are home, the first thing you need to do is move them from the mesh bag into a clean glass or stainless steel bowl.  Cover the mussels with a couple layers of damp paper towels and stash them in the lowest shelf of your refrigerator.  They will be good their for a few hours until dinner.  

How to clean mussels

1. Pick a mussel out of the bowl
2. Make sure it is closed.  If it is open, tap it on the side of the bowl (it could just be getting some air).  If it does not shut immediately, throw it out.  This is not the time to get frugal, because in this case frugal could make you sick, or at least, ruin your meal.
3. Scrub each mussel with a firm, nylon bristle brush to remove any hitch hikers that my be attached to the shell.
4. Near the hinge part of the shell, there may be a fibrous bundle hanging out, called a beard.  If there is, remove it by simply yanking it out.  I buy farmed mussels because they are very clean and therefore hardly ever have a beard.
5. Place the clean mussel in a another bowl and repeat until they are all done.  Take your time because this is your last chance to examine them before you eat them.