Cleaning seafood in general can be intimidating, but shying away from it will keep you away from the best recipes that life has to offer! Mussels is an ingredient you don’t want to miss out on. From a simple ginger mussel broth for those cold rainy days, to upgrading your seafood agile e olio game, the possibilities are endless.
1 Srub
Using the dull edge of a paring knife, vigorously scrub the mussels under running water to remove any barnacles and dirt on the shells.
2 Pull out beards and debris
With either your fingers or a sturdy paring knife, remove any visible beards or debris coming out of the mussels’ openings by pulling them out and towards the hinge.
3 Soak
Let the mussels sit in a bowl of cold water for 10 to 15 minutes to encourage them to expel any dirt or grit from their insides.
4 Discard the dead
Check for any mussels that are open and give them a tap. If they do not close immediately, that means that they are dead and shouldn’t be eaten. Make sure to discard them immediately.
5 Cook!
Now that you’ve got clean and ready mussels, it’s time for the next step! Learn to cook them below:
For more mussel recipe ideas:
Article was published in the April 2017 issue of Yummy magazine. Minor edits were made Yummy.ph editors.
