Mussels are delicious seafood. Moules Marinière, Mosselen met Look, Mussels in Beer, Mussels with Tomato Sauce and Mussels with Anise, served with crusted bread, with French Fries or just a glass of wine, as a starter or for lunch: mussels are great to combine. And did we mention delicious?
Always keep the following in mind:
- Mussels must be alive when you cook them. Like oysters, there is no alternative.
- It’s seafood; so don’t put them in fresh water. If you want to wash them, then add salt to the water.
- Clean the mussels thoroughly. It takes a few minutes but it is essential for the quality of the sauce. Use a small kitchen knife to scrape off all the nasty bits.
- When cleaning the mussels:
- throw away broken ones;
- throw away ones that won’t close, even after a gently tap.
- In case the sauce will be all over the mussels, then make sure they are really clean.
- Add the mussels to the very hot cooking liquid and then close the pan with a lid: you don’t want your mussels to suffer any longer than necessary.
- Cook the mussels until they are open. Don’t use a timer, don’t think they have to be cooked through and through: it will only make them rubbery and chewy.
- Don’t eat mussels that remain closed after cooking.
- Some suggest using the cooking juices as cheap stock. Don’t.
Cook and Drink 