The trick about mussels is knowing when they’re supposed to be open and
when they’re supposed to be closed.
Fresh mussels at the market should be closed. Some may be open but, if
they are alive, a sharp tap on the shell will have the same effect as on a
schoolgirl who has received a jab in the ribs from the headmistress
reminding her to keep her knees together.
How should they look when they are cooked? Most will open and should be
removed from the pan once they have done so. Some determined little blighters take
longer - either give them more time or coax them open with a knife. There
was an urban myth reprinted in many a cookbook that mussels which
didn't open when cooked were 'bad' and should be discarded. The myth is
untrue but is often authoratively repeated to this day.
Some
mussel recipes:
Spanish Mussels
Beard and clean the mussels (use your partner’s nailbrush for this �
they�ll never notice). To a frypan with olive oil add some diced chorizo
sausage. As it is starting to crisp add some chopped onion and garlic and
soften for a couple of minutes. Add the mussels and the bottom half of a
large glass of white wine. Add some fresh or canned diced tomato or passata,
but not too much � you don�t want it to cover the taste of the wine and the
mussels. Add some chopped green herbs such as parsley, basil or coriander
along with pepper and salt. If required add some more wine (remembering that
only the bottom half of a glass is suitable for cooking). As the mussels
open, remove and set to one side,
If desired turn up the heat to reduce the sauce. If you are game, add
some finely chopped seeded chillies. Briefly return the mussels to the sauce
then serve in bowls accompanied by crusty sourdough bread for soaking up the
juices.
Smoked Mussels Buckley
William Buckley, the
wild white man who lived with the Aborigines before the establishment of the
white settlement at Melbourne, spent a good deal of his time surviving on
shellfish. This is probably the recipe he used.
Wade into the water and fish out a batch of mussels. They are often
interconnected on a sort of rope. Throw them on the coals of the campfire.
As they open, fish them out as best you can and enjoy the salty, smoky
flavour of fresh Mussels Buckley.
White Hat Marinated Mussels
Buy a container of mussels in brine. (In Melbourne, we can recommend the
relatively low-priced tubs from the seafood
wholesaler in Wingfield Street Footscray). Transfer to a jar, discarding
half the brine and replacing it with your favourite combination of vinegar,
chillies, garlic, peppercorns etc. There is no need to do any fancy boiling
stuff to maintain the shelf life of the pickling liquid. These mussels will
be well and truly consumed before that becomes an issue. Place the lid on
and cover with a square of gingham secured with a rubber band. By a
well-known but as yet not completely understood scientific process, the
gingham imparts a special flavour to any contents in the jar which is why
any goods which you buy in a market which have been prepared in this fashion
cost twice as much. Marinated mussels go well as part of a late afternoon
tapas on a summer day.
Joris Hoefnagel (illuminator) [Flemish / Hungarian, 1542 - 1600] and
Georg Bocskay (scribe) [Hungarian, died 1575]
Port Phillip Mussel Festival
White Hat can thoroughly recommend this vibrant seafood festival come
street party. Enjoy mussels and other seafood cooked in a wide variety of
ways all accompanied by one of Melbourne's best free jazz festivals. Street
vendors combine with the market's own restaurants to provide plenty of
variety from the cheap and cheerful through to chef-prepared restaurant
dishes. Sit in the sun with a cold sangria and a hot mussel paella or enjoy
a craft beer with wok cooked drunken mussels.
Details at
Port
Phillip Mussel Festival
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Portarlington Mussel Festival
This community festival is one of the most popular bayside holiday festivals in
Victoria attracting around 30,000 people and is also a White Hat
favourite. As you might guess the chief focus is
on the locally produced mussels,
but other attractions grow year by year including:
- Live entertainment
- Kids activities
- Cooking demonstrations
- Art & Photo exhibitions
- Classic
car displays
- Food & Wine producers
- Products to try and buy
.. and
needless to say, plenty of mussels.
Congratulations to the volunteers who
make this happen each year. Details at
Portarlington Mussel Festival >>
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