Ingredient: Mussels
Category: Seafood
Season: September to April
The common name mussel is used for members of several different families of clams or bivalve molluscs, from both saltwater and freshwater habitats
"Mussel" is a loose and inaccurate term , but it has historically been applied to bivalves of the marine family Mytilidae, most of which live exposed in the intertidal zone attached by means of strong byssal threads to a firm substrate.
Marine mussel species live in intertidal and subtidal areas along coastlines worldwide.
Mussels as food
Nowadays marine mussels remain a popular seafood , especially in Belgium and the Netherlands , where they are consumed with french fries ("mosselen met friet" or "moules frites").
In Belgium , mussels are often served with fresh herbs and flavourful vegetables in a stock of butter and white wine. Frites/Frieten and Belgian beer are popular accompaniments.
In the Netherlands , mussels are sometimes served fried in batter or breadcrumbs , particularly at take-out food outlets or other informal settings.
In Italy they are popular, often mixed with other sea food, or eaten with pasta.
In Turkey mussels are either covered with flour and fried on shishs ('midye tava'), or filled with rice and served cold ('midye dolma').
Mussels are usually consumed with alcohol (mostly with raki or beer).
In France the Éclade des Moules is a mussel bake popular along the beaches of the Bay of Biscay .
In Cantonese cuisine , mussels are cooked in a broth of garlic and fermented black bean.
In New Zealand they are commonly served in a chili based vinaigrette .
During the Second World War in the United States , mussels were commonly served in diners.
This was due to the unavailability of red meat related to wartime rationing .
In Ireland and among the Irish Community in the West of Scotland they are popular.
Boiled and seasoned with vinegar , with the "bray" or boiling water as a supplementary hot drink.
Season
Months with an "R" in their name ( September to April) are said to be the "in" season for mussels .
Buying mussels
At the fishmonger’s, a sign of freshness is that most of them are tightly closed: if there are a lot of ‘gapers’ don’t bother.
When buying mussels you need to allow at least 1 pint (570 ml) per person for a first course, and 1½-2 pints (about 1 litre) for a main course.
That may seem a lot, but some will have to be discarded and, once they have been shelled, mussels are very small and light.
You should always eat mussels (and any other type of shellfish for that matter) on the day you buy them .
Cooking
Mussels can be smoked , boiled , steamed or fried in batter .
As for all shellfish , mussels should be alive just before they are cooked, as they quickly become toxic after they die.
A simple criterion is that live mussels , when in the air, will tightly shut when disturbed.
Open unresponsive mussels are dead and should be discarded .
Closed mussel shells that are unusually heavy should be discarded as well, because usually contain only mud and can be tested by slightly moving the two shells away from each other.
Mussel shells open by themselves when the mussels are cooked , revealing the cooked soft parts
Cleaning and cooking mussels
On arrival home, dump the mussels into a sinkful of cold water, Throw out any that float to the top and leave the cold tap running over them while you clean them.
To clean them, take a small knife and scrape off all the barnacles & pull off the little hairy beards, discard any mussels that are broken or are open and refuse to close tight when given a sharp tap with a knife.
After each one is cleaned, place it straight into another bowl of clean water.
When finished cleaning, swirl them around in three or four more changes of cold water, to get rid of any lingering bits of grit or sand.
Leave the cleaned mussels in clean cold water until you’re ready to cook them.
After cooking, check mussels again,discarding any whose shells haven’t opened.
Health
Inter-tidal herbivorous shellfish such as mussels and clams can help people reach a healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats in their diets, compared with current 'Western' diets.
Freshwater mussels
Freshwater mussels nowadays are generally considered to be unpalatable , though the native peoples in North America utilised them extensively.
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