Either you like them, or you don't. And the quality and size varies, too. A mouthful of too large mussel is not a pleasant sensation, and the tiny ones are hardly worth the effort. Since our new QFC opened nearby (Kroger to those of you back East) I've been getting good quality fish and shellfish at their counter service. Nice buys too-- these mussels were on special for $2.99 a pound last week.
Steaming is the basic method of mussel cooking, but there are all kinds of tasty concoctions like curry, wine and coconut milk that make them taste much better, and give you a nice "broth" to sop up with bread.
For these, I caramelized a generous amount of garlic in olive oil and butter, then thew in some parsley and a chopped tomato.
Here's the secret: put the mussels in the pot with the garlic, and add a generous splash of white wine. When the mussels open, they release plenty of water, so you don't need to cover them with liquid; it just dilutes the flavor of the "broth." Then put a tight lid on, and cook them on high for five minutes or so. (They turn to rubber if you boil them to death.)
We had a nice treat the other night with some
Dungeness crab legs and good bread.
Either you like them, or you don't. And the quality and size varies, too. A mouthful of too large mussel is not a pleasant sensation, and the tiny ones are hardly worth the effort. Since our new QFC opened nearby (Kroger to those of you back East) I've been getting good quality fish and shellfish at their counter service. Nice buys too-- these mussels were on special for $2.99 a pound last week.
Steaming is the basic method of mussel cooking, but there are all kinds of tasty concoctions like curry, wine and coconut milk that make them taste much better, and give you a nice "broth" to sop up with bread.
For these, I caramelized a generous amount of garlic in olive oil and butter, then thew in some parsley and a chopped tomato.
Here's the secret: put the mussels in the pot with the garlic, and add a generous splash of white wine. When the mussels open, they release plenty of water, so you don't need to cover them with liquid; it just dilutes the flavor of the "broth." Then put a tight lid on, and cook them on high for five minutes or so. (They turn to rubber if you boil them to death.)
We had a nice treat the other night with some Dungeness crab legs and good bread.
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