There's no shortage of ways to turn the shellfish into a memorable meal, writes Hugo Arnold
I'm prising open the glistening blue-black shells of Atlantic mussels to reveal gloriously juicy flesh. Everything - the meat, the shells and my fingers - is coated in a rich concoction of coconut milk, garlic and lemon grass, spiked with chilli to tingling point. Last time it was a more classic dressing of wine-rich cream and garlic. The time before that the shells were stuffed with breadcrumbs and grilled to a golden crisp.
Mussels charm with their versatility. Soy, ginger, noodles and spices all work well with the meaty flesh. And if you tire of the shells there is always the Italian treatment, with half the shell removed, like clams, or in a sauce, the flesh prised from the shell and combined with a rich garlic-and-tomato concoction.
Last autumn we gathered mussels on a beach, lit a bonfire and made moules marinières, slicing our onions with a penknife on driftwood. The children washed and debearded the molluscs in nearby pools, then, at the end, dipped bread in the soot-encrusted saucepan. We finished with bars of chocolate and a walk in the sunshine.
Mussels remind me of that day and of lunches in France that were simply mussels accompanied by chips, mayonnaise and Muscadet, followed by cheese.
Buying mussels may be simple - many are now grown on rope, for ease of harvesting, cleaning and debearding - but quality and size can vary. I've had batches in which every second one has been a midget, barely justifying its shell space. Ask for a few to be opened; it's a random check but reduces risk. (More importantly, discard any mussels that are open before you have cooked them; when you sit down to eat, discard any that remain closed.)
And don't skimp on quantity. The ratio of meat to shell, even in plump mussels, means you need quite a few to quell hunger.
All recipes feed four
BAKED MUSSELS
3 leeks
1 large red onion
2 carrots
2 handfuls of mangetout
8 spring onions
2kg cleaned mussels
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
4cm piece of ginger, grated
8 tbsp fino sherry
4 dessertspoon soy sauce
Tabasco
40g butter
Heat the oven to 200 degrees/gas 6. Cut out four pieces of foil, each about 60cm square. Finely slice the leeks, red onion, carrots and mangetout into julienne. Cut the spring onions into 2cm batons. Combine the mussels with the vegetables, divide equally on to the squares of foil and pull up the edges.
Combine the garlic, ginger, sherry, soy sauce and Tabasco to taste. Distribute among the parcels. Dot the parcels with the butter. Bring the edges together and seal tightly. Bake for 15 minutes. Check one parcel to see if the mussels have opened, then serve the other, sealed packages. When you open them at the table the fragrant steam will rise out.
BEER-STEAMED MUSSELS AND CLAMS
Ideally, use a wheat beer such as Hoegaarden. Otherwise, a good east European lager will do.
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500ml beer
1kg mussels
1kg clams
1 tbsp finely chopped pancetta
200ml double cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Melt a tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan large enough to accommodate the mussels and very gently saute the onion and celery for 10 minutes, without letting them colour. Add the garlic and continue to cook for one minute, stirring all the time. Add the beer, mussels and clams, put the lid on and turn the heat up. Steam for five to 10 minutes, or until the shellfish open. Don't overdo it or the meat will end up dry. Remove from the heat.
When they are cool enough to handle, take off half of each shell and discard. Reserve the half with the meat attached. Strain the liquid into a saucepan. Gently saute the pancetta in the remaining butter for 10 minutes, add the cream and remove from the heat. Stir in the mustard and egg yolk. Reheat the strained liquor, then whisk it into the bacon mixture. Check the seasoning, add the parsley and pour over the mussels. Reheat gently, ensuring the liquid doesn't boil (or it will separate). Serve.
WINE-STEAMED MUSSELS
The Gewürztraminer in this recipe is crucial,
as it lifts the dish. If you substitute
another wine it simply doesn't work in the same way.
4 tbsp finely chopped shallots
4 tbsp olive oil
150ml dry white wine
125ml creme fraiche
150ml Gewürztraminer
2kg mussels, washed and debearded
bunch parsley, finely chopped
Gently saute the shallots for 10 minutes in the olive oil; don't let them colour. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the creme fraiche and some black pepper, bring to the boil and reduce until thick. Add the Gewürztraminer and mussels, cover and cook until opened (about five minutes). Add the parsley, check seasoning, stir well and divide.
MUSSEL LINGUINI
1kg mussels, washed
450g linguini
olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
4 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 glass white wine
Cook the linguini in a large pan of generously salted water until al dente, then drain, reserving a little of the water.
Heat four tablespoons of olive oil and saute the onion over a gentle heat for 15 minutes, without letting them colour. Add the garlic, chilli and fennel seeds and continue cooking for a further two minutes.
Add the parsley, cook, stirring constantly, for two more minutes, then add the white wine. Increase the heat slightly, to boil off the alcohol, and season with salt and pepper.
Add the mussels to the pan, turn up the heat and cover. Steam for five to eight minutes, or until the shells just start to open.
Add the cooked pasta to the mussels and toss generously, adding a slug of olive oil as you go.
Adjust the seasoning. Add a little of the reserved pasta water, to make a loose sauce, then serve.