Blue Mussel
Before cooking, remove the ‘beards’ (byssal threads) by pulling them sharply towards the pointy end of the shell. Lightly scrub shells with a plastic scourer to remove any sediment or barnacles. They have a rich, strong flavour, high oiliness and moist, juicy, medium-textured flesh. Remove from the heat as soon as they open, as they quickly shrivel and become chewy if over cooked. While traditional wisdom was to discard shells that don’t open when cooked, you can pry them open, away from the plate, and, if they smell good, eat them; if they’re bad, they’ll have a distinctly ‘off’ aroma. All of the flesh is edible, females tend to be more orange in colour, whereas males are paler.
Average Yeild: 30%
Cooking Methods: Steam, poach, deep-fry, pan-fry, stir-fry, bake, grill, BBQ, smoke, raw (sashimi), pickle. The firm flesh holds together well in soups, curries and stir-fries.
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