Recipe: Spicy Mussels with White Wine

Spicy Mussels with White Wine

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1 cup dry white wine
2 (1/4-inch-thick) lemon slices
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 1/2 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1/2 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
8 slices crusty Italian bread, sliced 1/2-inch thick
Olive oil


Directions

Heat grill to high.

Heat oil in heavy large pot on the grates of the grill. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper and salt and cook for 1 minute.

Add wine, lemon slices, and 1/4 cup parsley; bring to boil. Add mussels. Cover pot and cook until mussel shells open, stirring once, about 6 minutes; discard any mussels that do not open. Using slotted spoon, transfer mussels to large shallow bowl. Boil broth in pot until reduced to 1 cup, about 3 minutes; season, to taste, with pepper. Pour broth over mussels. Sprinkle with tomatoes and remaining parsley.

Brush bread on both sides with oil and season with salt. Grill until golden brown on both sides. Serve mussels with bread for dipping.

10 mins prep / 10 mins cook time / 4-6 servings

Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay

Recipes: Coconut-Curry Mussels

Coconut-Curry Mussels

Ingredients

2 stalks lemongrass
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons chopped peeled ginger
1/4 cup green curry paste
2 15 -ounce cans coconut milk
4 tablespoons fish sauce
6 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
4 limes, halved
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Crusty bread, for serving (optional)

Directions

Trim the lemongrass, leaving 6 inches at the root end; discard the tops. Smash the stalks with the flat side of a knife and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in each of 2 large pots over medium-high heat. Add 1 sliced onion to each and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add half each of the garlic, lemongrass, ginger and curry paste to each pot and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes.

Add 1 can coconut milk, 2 tablespoons fish sauce and 1/4 cup water to each pot and bring to a simmer. Divide the mussels between the pots; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mussels open, about 8 minutes. (Discard any that do not open.) Add the juice of 2 limes to each pot, then add the lime halves. Stir 1/2 cup cilantro into each. Serve with bread, if desired.

Photograph by Anna Williams

Recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine

30 mins prep time / 10 mins cook time /  yield 6

Recipes: Steamed Mussels

Steamed Mussels

Ingredients

4 pounds mussels
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, shaved
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup chicken broth, low-sodium
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and cut in large dice
1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Rinse the mussels under cold running water while scrubbing with a vegetable brush. Discard any with broken shells. Heat oil in a 6 to 8-quart stockpot. Saute the shallot, garlic and thyme to create a base flavor. Add the mussels and give them a good toss. Add wine, lemon juice, chicken broth and red pepper flakes; cover the pot and steam over medium-high for 5 minutes until the mussels open. Toss in the tomato, parsley and butter, recover the pot, and steam for another minute to soften. The tomatoes should keep their shape. Serve with plenty of grilled garlic bread to sop up the broth.

1 hour prep / 10 mins cook time

2001 Television Food Network

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence

Recipes: Rioja Steamed Mussels with Chorizo

Rioja Steamed Mussels with Chorizo

Ingredients

1 pound fresh chorizo, casings removed, crumbled
1 very large Spanish onion, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 pounds black mussels, cleaned and bearded
1 bottle Rioja or other dry red wine
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions
 
Put the chorizo in a large heavy pot with a lid over high heat. Cook until the fat is rendered and the meat has browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a plate and reserve. Add the onions to the pot with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the chorizo back to the pan and drop in the mussels. Pour in the wine, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook until mussels have opened, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and discard any mussels that have not opened. Stir very well until the mussels are coated in the wine and onions. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.

Prep 35 mins / cook 25 mins ./ 4 servings

Recipe courtesy of Claire Robinson, 2010 food network

Recipes: Aaron's 'Best Mussels on Earth'

'Best Mussels on Earth'

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 pound chorizo, finely diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 bulb fennel, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pinch saffron
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
2 pounds mussels, cleaned and beard removed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Crusty bread, for serving


Directions
 
In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add the oil. Add the red pepper flakes and chorizo. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to release the flavors. Stir in the onions and fennel and cook until they caramelize, about additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saffron and allow the saffron to bloom. Stir in the wine and stock and mix well. Add the mussels and stir. Cover the pot and steam until the mussels open, about to 5 minutes. Remove the lid, then add the tomatoes, herbs, lemon juice and salt and pepper, and stir well. Ladle the mussels and broth into large serving bowl and serve with crusty bread.

15 mins prep / 20 cook time / serves 4 

Recipe courtesy of Aaron McCargo Jr. / food network

Recipe: Mussels in White Wine

Mussels in White Wine

Ingredients

3 pounds cultivated mussels
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots (5 to 7 shallots)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (5 to 6 cloves)
1/2 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes, drained (4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon good saffron threads
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup good white wine
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

To clean the mussels, put them in a large bowl with 2 quarts of water and the flour and soak for 30 minutes, or until the mussels disgorge any sand. Drain the mussels, then remove the "beard" from each with your fingers. If they're dirty, scrub the mussels with a brush under running water. Discard any mussels whose shells aren't tightly shut.

In a large non-aluminum stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the tomatoes, saffron, parsley, thyme, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.

Add the mussels, stir well, then cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until all the mussels are opened (discard any that do not open). With the lid on, shake the pot once or twice to be sure the mussels don't burn on the bottom. Pour the mussels and the sauce into a large bowl and serve hot.

CONTAINS SHELLFISH: Consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish may substantially increase the risk of foodborne illness.

Prep time 10 mins / inactive 30 mins / cook time 20 mins /  2 servings

2004, Barefoot in Paris

MUSSELS - explained by Pacific Seafood

MUSSELS (explanation from Pacific Seafood)

Mytilus edulis & M. trossulus (blue), M. galloprovincialis (Mediterranean), Perna canaliculus (greenshell)

Market Name(s): Often marketed by area of origin, i.e., Prince Edward Island mussels, Penn Cove mussels, etc. Greenshell mussels sometimes called greenlip mussels. Mediterranean mussels.

• Primary Source: Domestic: New England and Washington state. Imported: New Zealand, and Canada.
• Season: Year-round, but meat yields and harvests decline after spawning. Blue mussels spawn in summer, Mediterranean and greenshell mussels spawn in winter.
• Primary Fishing Method: Rope-grown, bottom cultured and wild dredged.

SIZE RANGE:

Blue mussels:
Avg. Size: 15-20 per pound

Greenshells:
Avg. Size: 10-15 per pound

Product forms:

Blue and Mediterranean mussels: Mostly live, some lightly steamed and frozen in the shell.

Greenshell mussels: Mostly lightly steamed and frozen on the half shell, some live, smoked.

STORAGE & HANDLING

Most debearded live mussels have a shelf life of 7-10 days, although this decreases to 5-7 days after mussels have spawned. Live mussels should be held at 35-38°F in ice, which must be allowed to drain as fresh water will kill mussels. Frozen mussels have a shelf life of six to nine months.

COOKING SUGGESTIONS

These delicious bivalves have recently started gaining popularity in the United States for their excellent taste and nutritional value. They have a bold taste and can hold up to strong-flavored recipes such as spicy Asian sauces and garlic mixtures. Usually mussels are served steamed as an appetizer with some nice crusty bread, but they can also be included in pastas or seafood stews such as a bouillabaisse.

SELLING POINTS

• Excellent value. Mussels are perceived by many chefs and consumers to be gourmet seafood, but prices are lower than clams.
• Very healthy seafood that’s high in protein.
• Great way to add perceived value to shellfish dishes such as cioppinos and paellas.
• Excellent as an appetizer.

DEFECTS

• Light meat yield after spawning
• Broken shells
• Grit and sand
• Dead mussels (mussels are alive if shells close when agitated)
• Incomplete debearding

THE PACIFIC ADVANTAGE

• Highly developed inter company transportation system along entire West Coast allows product to be moved quickly from harvest sites through distribution, extending product shelf life
• Use of air freight for mussels from East Coast increases shelf life
• Strict quality control and receiving policies, assuring only highest quality cultivated mussels with high meat content are procured
• Dedicated shellfish handling areas, assuring optimal conditions from harvest to end user
• Extensive, high-volume distribution network assures fast turnover and consistent supply
• Advanced H.A.C.C.P. program far exceeds government standards and maintains the highest level of tracking controls from harvest to end user

SUMMARY

It wasn’t that long ago that mussels were virtually unknown in the U.S. outside of a few ethnic markets in the Northeast. But aquaculture and a good marketing job by mussel producers have made mussels one of the seafood industry’s great success stories. Today, Americans have a world of mussels to choose from. Greenshell mussels from New Zealand, blue mussels from Maine or Prince Edward Island, Mediterranean mussels from Washington state—our appetite for this marvelous mollusc is growing by leaps and bounds. Mussels are bivalve molluscs that eat microscopic plankton that they filter from more than 24 gallons of water a day. Mussels are grown on ropes (suspended culture), in cultivated beds (bottom culture) or simply dredged offshore from natural beds.

The blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, is the most common mussel grown in North America. In Canada, Prince Edward Island is the leading producer with an annual harvest of about 15,000 tons. In the U.S., about 2,000 tons of blue mussels are harvested each year in New England. In Washington State, farmers produce about 250 tons of a very similar species, M. trossulus.

Mussel farmers hang ropes in the water to catch free floating mussel larvae, although some farmers raise larvae in hatcheries. After growing on the ropes for about 14-18 months, the mussels are ready to harvest. Almost all of the mussels grown in New Zealand, Canada and Washington state are rope-grown.

On the West Coast, some mussel farmers grow the Mediterranean mussel, M. galloprovincialis, on ropes. This mussel is larger, faster growing and has a higher meat content (50% vs. 35%) than the blue mussel. It also spawns in winter, while blue mussels spawn in the summer. Some farms have begun to raise sterilized triploid Mediterranean mussels which do not spawn. New England fishermen use dredges to harvest wild blue mussels throughout the year. Although these mussels have traditionally been very cheap because of inconsistent quality, some producers are adding value by grading them and purging them in tanks to remove grit. In Europe, where mussels are a passion, more than 300,000 tons of mussels are grown each year. In northern Europe, farmers grow blue mussels, while the Mediterranean mussel is grown in southern European countries, especially Spain.

With an annual production of more than 50,000 tons, New Zealand is the world’s largest producer of the greenshell mussel, Perna canaliculus. The U.S. imports about 9,000 tons of greenshell mussels a year, most of which are lightly steamed and frozen on the half shell or smoked. Greenshells are about 30% larger than blue mussels. The quality—and price—of a mussel is a function of how it was grown. Rope-grown mussels are the most expensive, as they have the highest meat-to-shell ratio and are free of any grit. Bottom cultured and wild mussels that are purged in water to remove any sand or grit cost less than rope-grown mussels. Wild mussels that are not purged are substantially cheaper. The meat content of a mussel can be reduced by 30% or more after it spawns. It takes about two months for the meat yield to fully recover.

Mussels attach themselves to ropes or the bottom with their byssus (biss-us), or beard, which should always be removed before eating. Mussel producers usually remove the byssus, however, it weakens the animal and shortens the shelf life. In the summer, when mussels are already weak from spawning, some producers may leave the byssus on.

Why do some mussels have orange meats and some white? The orange meats are the females, the whites are males. They both taste the same, by the way.