Fish - Alan's Cookbook

Mussels
If you’ve never had mussels, you’ve missed one of the better
treats the ocean has to offer. Here are two ways to make them,
both dead simple and delicious.
Green mussels
Red or white wine
Garlic
Bay leaves
Parsley
Green mussels often have “beards”, little
hairballs of seaweed that help disguise the
mussel’s “mouth” from its prey. When you get
the mussels, place them in a large mixing bowl.
scrub with cold water, but don’t soak them in it.
Grab the beard with your fingers and rip it off,
using the sharp edge of the shell to help. And
they’re ready.
I often wimp out and use pre-peeled garlic from a
jar, though peeling it fresh is better.
A nice citrusy wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon
Blanc is best for the white. For the red, use a nice
light Rhône wine.
Recipe 1. Coarsely chop about 20 cloves of garlic
and a handful of parsley for each five pounds of
mussels. Place them in a large kettle with 1/2
bottle of white wine (this is enough for any
amount of mussels). Boil rapidly, covered, until
the wine foams up through the mussels and the
mussels open. Serve with good toast.
Recipe 2. Coarsely chop about 5 cloves of garlic
and 5 fresh bay leaves for each 5 pounds of
mussels. Place them in a kettle with 1/2 bottle of
red wine. Boil rapidly, covered, until the wine
foams up through the mussels and the mussels
open. Serve with good toast.
Some say you should not use mussels that don’t
open during the cooking process. Others—who
are still living—pooh pooh this.
Serves 1 per lb mussels
Cooking time: 20 minutes
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