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bowl of steamed mussels is a flavorful dish for fall and marries
well with a bright white wine. |
Good Times for Mussels
Tasty • Inexpensive • Versatile
When I was in Brussels a few years ago, I couldn’t get enough of moules et frites—mussels simply steamed in white wine and seasoned with fresh herbs alongside French fries. With a glass of crisp Muscadet or a marvelous Belgian beer, what a delightful lunch it was! As I sopped up all those glorious juices from the traditional pot in which the mussels were served, I wondered, “Why don’t Americans do this more often?”
Ian Jefferds, owner of Penn Cove Shellfish in Coupeville, Wash., says Americans haven’t put a premium on shellfish freshness the way Europeans have. Freshness equals flavor; that’s why the Belgians consume far more mussels. “Even fish wholesalers are ignorant of shellfish. They forget that shellfish are alive and need to be utilized quickly,” Jefferds says. Quickly means a few days out of water, not longer, as is often the case in the United States. Jefferds’ mussels, for example, are not harvested until ordered.
Mark Peterson of the Great Eastern Mussel Farms in Tenants Harbor, Maine, the country’s largest mussel producer, says another reason why mussels haven’t been more popular is that up until 10 or 15 years ago, they often contained sand or grit. “Now we purge mussels of sand and grit with clean seawater and remove the beards [those protruding wiry threads by which mussels attach themselves to moorings] as well,” Peterson says.
Need more reasons for musseling up? How about that a pound of mussels (about one serving) can cost as little as $2.99 and that they are high in heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids? But the best reason to cook mussels is that they are so versatile—they can be prepared in a multitude of ways.
Types of Mussels
The most common commercially harvested mussel in North America is the Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), found along both the east and west coasts. The blue mussel has a shiny black exterior shell and an iridescent blue interior. The Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and the Penn Cove mussel (Mytilus trossulus) are blue mussel cousins. The Mediterranean is the largest, and can grow up to 5 inches in length, versus 2 to 3 inches for the others. Penn Cove mussels tend to be more tender and sweeter than blues, with Mediterraneans somewhere in the middle. French chef Laurent Manrique, of Aqua in San Francisco, thinks European mussels have a sharper, brinier flavor than those from North America.
The green, or green lip, farmed mussel (Perna canaliculus)—named for the green band that rings the outer edge of the shell—is imported from New Zealand. It’s bigger, meatier and generally more expensive than the blue mussel. One downside of the green lip is that it often “gapes,” meaning that the shell has a tendency to open. This leads consumers to believe the mussel is dead, which, while not necessarily true, keeps many retailers from carrying the type. To find out if a gaper (green or blue) is alive, tap the shell against a hard, flat surface such as the kitchen counter. If the shell closes, the mussel is alive. Cook only live mussels.
Perhaps as much as 95 percent of the mussels we eat are farmed, most notably in blue mussel areas such as Washington state, Maine and Prince Edward Island. Because farmed mussels grow in the same habitat as wild mussels, they have a comparable taste. However, a mussel’s terroir is less noticeable than an oyster’s because oysters are primarily eaten raw and mussels are almost always cooked.
Preparing Mussels
As with any shellfish, prepare just-purchased mussels as soon as possible. Keep mussels in a large colander covered with a wet towel or ice. Put the colander inside a large bowl to catch moisture, and store in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Never submerge mussels in water or seal them in plastic bags for more than an hour: They will suffocate. Cleaning mussels is easier than cleaning most salad greens. Before cooking, just rinse them under cold running water and check for any broken shells and gapers. Pull out any beards that might remain.
The simplest way to cook mussels is La Cagouille style, named for a Parisian bistro. Put the mussels in a very hot cast-iron skillet. Cover and shake the pan a few times. The mussels will open in a few minutes. Serve with freshly ground black pepper and lots of good bread, an essential accompaniment to most mussel dishes.
Grilling is another simple way to cook mussels; just be sure they can’t fall through the grate. They’ll take about two to six minutes to open. Then carefully transfer them with tongs (to preserve the precious juices) to a bowl and serve with melted herb butter or a warm vinaigrette. Steaming is the best way to prepare mussels because it provides an almost infinite number of variations. Jacques Ouari serves steamed mussels six different ways, from the classic moules à la marinière (see recipe that follows) to Spanish style with chorizo, at his Jacques Brasserie in Manhattan.
Belgians will often use beer instead of wine as the steaming liquid. They may also add celery and some anise flavoring in the form of fennel seeds, Pernod liqueur or chopped fennel bulb. Other variations include using olive oil in place of butter and adding tomatoes or seasonings such as saffron or hot pepper flakes.
For a Chinese take on steamed mussels, buy Chinese black bean sauce (subbed for the white wine) or soak fermented black beans in Sherry. Scallions (in place of onions), ginger and soy sauce would round out the Chinese sauce ingredient list. Thai-style steamed mussels also use ginger along with lemongrass, chile peppers and coconut milk. Mussels have an affinity for curry, usually with cream or crème fraîche. At Marché in Eugene, Ore., chef Rocky Maselli serves mussels with cream, curry and apple cider on his fall menu. Or simply toss mussels that were prepared according to the recipe that follows with 1/3 cup of crème fraîche just before serving.
Mussels make a colorful addition to seafood soups, stews and dishes such as paella. Mussels can also make great hors d’oeuvres. Steam them as in the recipe below, then discard one-half of each shell. Top the mussels with a fresh tomato salsa or a mustard-dill mayonnaise. At Alizé in Las Vegas, Jacques Van Staden does an appetizer of 10 mussels on the half shell with different toppings, from a mignonette sauce to hollandaise.
Mussels and Wine
Most crisp, unoaked white wines, such as Muscadet, Chablis and Sauvignon Blanc, pair well with mussels, though my favorite was an Albariño. For richer presentations, try wines such as German spätlese or Alsace Riesling. Belgian beers, especially wheat beers, are also good choices. Just don’t wait to go to Belgium to enjoy them.
Moules à la Marinière 
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 pounds cleaned mussels
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a Dutch oven, wok or large sauté pan, melt the butter over moderate
heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft but not brown, 3
to 4 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients, cover and shake the pan to mix the mussels with the seasonings. Turn heat to high and cook until all the mussels open, about 5 minutes.
Serve immediately in large soup plates, with plenty of good bread to soak up the juices.
Serves 4.