How to cook mussels

Information for mussels in our free cooking ingredients collection.

Mussels

Perhaps it is the dark shell that accounts for its foreboding reputation. Perhaps it is the name, which makes it sound too much like a stringy, tough muscle. Whatever the case, mussels do not have the audience in the United States that other forms of seafood do, even though people throughout the world have been eating them for more than 20,000 years.

Although there are dozens of mussel species, only two reach American markets with any regularity. The blue mussel (which is actually dark blue to black) and the bluegreen mussel can be used in recipes interchangeably, but the blue-green type from New Zealand is larger and more expensive. The blue mussel is most abundant, found along the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts. It is usually 2 to 3 inches in length.

Many mussels are being cultivated instead of harvested because of the dangers posed by microscopic organisms (of red tide notoriety) that make mussels unsafe to eat during the spring and summer months.

When choosing mussels, make sure they are still alive by tapping on their shells. If they slam shut, they are still alive. Those with tightly closed shells also are a good choice. In general, smaller mussels are more tender. Cultivated mussels are usually smaller, and they also lack some of the sand and grit of harvested mussels. Choose shucked mussels that are plump and have a clear liquor (liquid). Or, opt for plain and smoked mussels packed in oil.

Store live mussels in a single layer on a tray in the refrigerator covered only with a damp towel or wet newspapers for up to 2 days. Store shucked mussels in the refrigerator up to 3 days. They should be covered completely with their liquor (liquid). If you need more liquor, combine 1 cup water with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pour this brine over the mussels to cover.

How to cook mussels

Before cooking, use a stiff brush to scrub mussels under cold, running water. Pull out the dark threads (beard) that protrude from the shell. Mussels die when debearded, the term given for removal of these threads, so do not remove the dark threads until just before cooking. Get rid of sand by soaking mussels in cold, salted water (use 1/3 cup salt per gallon of water) for 1 hour. Like all shellfish, mussels should be cooked gently to prevent toughening. Mussels cooked in their shells are done when their shells pop open. Discard any with unopened shells.

Serving suggestions

An elegant way to serve them is simple: boil them. Add garlic, onion, a splash of olive oil, and white wine to the water while cooking, generally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Saffron also provides an excellent flavor. Serve with French bread. This can be broken into pieces to be used to soak up the flavorful broth you created while cooking the mussels. A general rule: about 1 pound of mussels per person is needed.

• Octopus
• Oysters
• Scallops
• Shrimp
• Legumes
• Alfalfa
• Broad beans (fava beans)
• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• Common beans
• Black beans
• Cranberry beans
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• Swordfish
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• Abalone
• Clam
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