When properly cooked, fresh mussels can be eaten by themselves with a squeeze of lemon or combined with other seafood -- such as shrimp, scallops and calamari -- and added to pasta dishes, salads, paellas and cazuelas. The easiest method -- steaming them -- actually takes less time than the preparation of thoroughly rinsing them first in cold water, removing sand, grit and the fibrous "beard" and discarding any broken or open shells. Like lobsters and clams, mussels are cooked while they're still alive.
Step 1
Pour 1 or 2 cups of water into a deep cooking pot, and place it on the stove.
Step 2
Add 1 tbsp. minced garlic.
Step 3
Place all the cleaned and scrubbed mussels into your pot on top of the stove. Set the burner to high, and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat, put the cover on the pot, and steam the mussels for approximately five minutes or until the shells have opened.
Step 4
Pour your mussels into a colander over a bowl to strain off the liquid. Toss out any shells that did not open during the steaming process.
Tips and Warnings
- Try substituting white wine or a fish stock for the water. Mussels can be served in their "winged" state, on half a shell or with the shells removed altogether. Don't throw out the liquid you cooked your mussels in, because it has the mussels' salty and distinctive flavor. It can be incorporated into whatever sauce you create for serving. Put mussels in the freezer for a maximum of three months, but only if they are already cooked. Or refrigerator them in a sealed container; they will be edible for only one or two days. Even if you're going to bake, fry or grill your mussels, they must be steamed first. It's very easy to overcook mussels and cause them to become tasteless and rubbery, so make sure you cook them for only briefly in later stages of cooking.
Things You'll Need
- Cooking pot with lid
- Large bowl
- Colander
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
References
- "Rick Stein's Complete Seafood"; Rick Stein; 2004
- "Fish & Shellfish: The Cook's Indispensable Companion"; James Peterson; 1996
- "Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking"; Mark Bittman; 1999
- "Shellfish: The Cookbook"; Karen Barnaby; 2010
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