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New from FISHline
News, Sydney New
from FISHline
News, Sydney,
New from FISHline News, Sydney,
New from FISHline News, Sydney,
FEATURE
SPECIES: MUSSELS
By
Roberta Muir
Food
Historian Alan Davidson says that the word ‘mussel’ comes from Latin
(and Greek) ‘mus’, meaning ‘mouse’; perhaps the shape of the shell
reminded ancients of the shape of a mouse’s body? A wonderfully
affordable bivalve mollusc found all over the world and one of the easiest
to prepare, Mussels are particularly popular in France, Belgium,
Netherlands, Spain (the world’s leading producer) and Italy; and the
Mussels that grow in Australia are either the same species as, or almost
identical to, those found in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic.
Once
popular as snacks that could be harvested free or purchased cheaply (and
known as ‘poor man’s oysters’), these filter feeders became a
casualty of the Industrial Revolution as people became concerned about the
quality of the water in which they were growing wild.
Myticulture, as the
cultivation of Mussels is known, was however one of the earliest forms of
aquaculture, dating to at least 13th century France. A story
tells of an Irishman shipwrecked on the western coast of France near La
Rochelle who made a chance discovery that poles he erected in the mudflats
to support nets for catching birds became a breeding ground for Mussels.
So he drove in more stakes, closer together, and joined them with bundles
of branches (‘bouches’) at low tide level and turned his hand to myticulture. The Mussels
probably tasted better than the birds anyway! The process has been refined
a little, but Mussels are still grown in France in virtually the same way
on wooden hurdles called ‘bouchot’.
Blue
Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis*)
are
often just called Mussels (or black mussels), as they
are the only commercial species of Mussel sold in quantity in Australia. They
grow wild in intertidal waters to depths of around 20m, often in dense
clumps, attached by coarse rope-like ‘beards’ (byssal threads) to
exposed reefs, rocks and jetty pylons, and were traditionally harvested by
divers off southern NSW, Victoria, SA and southern WA.
Wild Mussel
harvests have been in decline, however, since aquaculture commenced in NSW
in 1976, and now all Blue Mussels sold commercially are farmed. They are
grown in southern NSW (around Eden), Victoria, Tasmania, SA and southern
WA in clean, sheltered water 5-20m deep.
During spawning, Mussels produce
up to 8 million tiny eggs (0.07mm in diameter), which float on the
currents for up to 3 months before settling. The tiny immature mussels
(spat) are collected on ropes (mainly from the wild, although some are
produced in hatcheries in Tasmania) and raised in long ‘socks’ (to
protect them from predators) suspended from horizontal ropes attached to
buoys to keep them immersed (known as subtidal suspended culture).
They
are harvested at 12-18 months, when they average 6-9cm and 25-40g
(although they can grow to almost 13cm and 50g) and are available year
round. The smooth dark, wedge-shaped shell (usually bluey-purple to black, but
occasionally browny-grey,) with a bluish-white interior is easily
distinguished from other bivalve molluscs such as Oysters, Pipis and
Cockles.
* Blue Mussels were previously known by two other Latin
names: Mytilus edulis and Mytilus planulatus.
Green Mussels (Perna canaliculus),
also known as green-lipped mussels, are imported frozen from their
native New Zealand. They are generally larger than Blue Mussels, averaging
11cm and 60g, and are partly cooked before being exported in order to
satisfy Australian quarantine bans on the importation of live animals.
Because of this initial cooking, they aren’t suitable for cooked dishes,
as they tend to turn tough when recooked.
Buying
Blue
Mussels are sold live. Look for brightly coloured, intact, lustrous
shells, that are closed or close when tapped or gently squeezed, and a
pleasant fresh sea smell. Tiny crabs are sometimes found inside Mussels,
they are harmless and do not indicate any problem with the Mussel.
Storing
Live
shellfish should be consumed as soon as possible after purchase. Place
Mussels in a container, cover with a damp cloth or butcher’s paper and
keep in the warmest part of the refrigerator, usually the crisper (optimum
5°C), ensuring that the covering remains damp.
Before cooking discard any
shells that are open and don’t close when tapped or gently squeezed.
Cooked Mussels can be removed from their shells and frozen for up to 3
months (below -18ºC) then thawed in the refrigerator and used in soups or
salads (do not recook as they’ll become tough).
Cooking
Before cooking, remove the ‘beards’ 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. All
of the flesh inside the shell is edible, females tend to be more orange in
colour, whereas males are paler.
Mussels yield an average of 30% meat, so allow around
600g of whole shells per person as a main course. Mussels work well with bacon, breadcrumbs, butter, celery, chilli, citrus, fennel, garlic, herbs
(coriander, dill, lovage, parsley, French tarragon), mayonnaise, olive
oil, onion, pepper, Pernod, potatoes, saffron, tomato, white wine.
They
lend themselves to a wide range of cooking styles, including steaming,
poaching, deep-frying, stir-frying, baking, grilling, barbecuing (in the
shell), smoking and pickling. Some connoisseurs even like the very fresh
ones raw (sashimi), though this is rare. Due to their similarities, Blue
Mussels often make a good substitute for Sand Cockles, Pipis and other
Clams.
The firm flesh works particularly well in soups, curries and
stir-fries and they are often seen in cream or tomato sauces, fried, sautéed,
au gratin (covered with herb and garlic butter and breadcrumbs and grilled
until bubbling), in omelettes, soups, pasta, paella and salads.
Remember
that they need very little cooking and are ready virtually as soon as the
shells open. Put them in a single layer in a wide-based frying pan, cover
and place over a high heat. You don’t need to add any liquid or
flavourings as they’ll steam open in their own juices, but, if you wish,
you can fry onions, shallots, fennel, garlic, parsley stalks, and/or
pepper in a little oil first, add some white wine, bring to the boil, then
add Mussels.
Remove the individual shells from the pan as each one opens,
cover and continue cooking, checking and removing open shells every few
seconds, so as not to overcook them. There are often a few stubborn shells
that don’t open regardless of how long they’re cooked, traditional
wisdom was to discarded these (as they may have already been dead prior to
cooking), you can, however, pry them open over the sink, and if they smell
good, they’re good to eat; if they are bad, your nose will tell you!
Strain the mussel liquor through muslin or a chux and add it to soups and
sauces for extra flavour. Remove the meat from the shells or serve them
shell and all. If serving in the shell, remember to put a large bowl on
the table for discarded shells with some finger bowls and big napkins.
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MOULES MARINIÈRE
©
Roberta Muir
This is perhaps the most widely known Mussel dish. The best way to eat
these Mussels is to abandon knives and forks and use the shell from the
first Mussel as an implement for scooping the others out of their shells.
In Belgium, Mussels prepared this way are commonly served with mayonnaise
(either plain or flavoured with garlic) and hot chips.
Serves 4
100
g cold butter, diced
4 golden shallots, finely chopped
2 parsley stalks
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
a few white peppercorns
1 cup dry white wine
2.½ kg Blue Mussels, debearded and scrubbed
½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Crusty bread, to serve
Melt half the butter in a large frying pan, add the shallots, parsley,
thyme and bay and cook until shallots have softened. Add wine, increase
heat and, when boiling, add Mussels and cover.
Cook, shaking vigorously for 1 minute, then remove any open Mussels and
place in a large warm serving bowl. Continue cooking, removing Mussels as
they open.
When all are open, strain cooking liquid, and return to wiped out pan.
Simmer over a low heat and whisk in the butter, piece by piece, to
thicken. Stir in chopped parsley, taste and add salt and pepper if needed
(remember the Mussel liquor is salty).
Serve with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the sauce, finger bowls and
large serviettes.
Wine suggestion:
Grosset was
one of the first companies to bottle serious wines under screw cap. Their
Piccadilly Chardonnay 2004 (re-released in 2006), fresh and buttery, is
the perfect partner for the earthy, maritime flavours of this dish.
www.grosset.com
BLUE
MUSSELS IN TOMATO SAUCE
© FISHline, Sydney Fish Market
This
is a quick, tasty, inexpensive entrée, but it would also make a perfect
casual meal if you increased the quantities and served it with a green
salad – and don’t forget lots of crusty bread to soak up all the rich
juices.
Serves 4 as an entrée
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large brown onion, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup dry white wine
400 g canned tomatoes, chopped
1 kg Blue Mussels, scrubbed and debearded
¼ cup torn basil leaves
Crusty bread, to serve
Heat the olive oil in a large deep frying pan, or wok, over a medium
heat. Add the onion, garlic and pepper, cover and cook over a low heat for
about 10 minutes, until the onion is soft.
Add the wine, stir well, increase heat, and bring to the boil. Stir in
the tomatoes, return to the boil, add Mussels, cover and cook for a couple
of minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until Mussels start to open.
Using a slotted spoon, remove open shells to a large bowl. Cook for
another few minutes, removing Mussels as soon as they open.
Add basil leaves to the sauce, taste and add salt and pepper (remembering
that the Mussel liquor is salty), pour over the Mussels, and serve with
plenty of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. And remember fingerbowls and
big serviettes.
Wine suggestion:
Brown Brothers Petit Verdot 2003 is a beautifully
fragrant red wine from the Heathcote region. Its rich, fruit forward
flavour, dark berry aroma and perfectly balanced oak mimic the flavours of
the tomato sauce in this dish. www.brownbrothers.com.au
FISHline
News Sydney Seafood School March - June 2007
Visit the FISHline pages of Sydney Fish market’s website at
www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au
for further species information and more great recipe ideas.
©
Roberta Muir
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