Whole Green Shell Mussels.

TO COOK

If Mussels are being served in the shell, remove beards (byssal threads) before cooking by holding shells firmly closed and sharply tugging beards away from the pointy end of the shell; if Mussels are being removed from shells, cook with beards attached, they are easy to pull off the cooked Mussels once they’re removed from their shells.

Lightly scrub shells with a plastic scourer to remove any sediment or barnacles. Average yield is 30%. They have a rich, strong flavour, high oiliness and moist, juicy, medium-textured flesh. Remove from the heat as soon as they open, as they quickly shrivel and become chewy if over cooked.

While traditional wisdom was to discard shells that don’t open when cooked, you can pry them open, away from the plate, and, if they smell good, eat them; if they’re bad, they’ll have a distinctly ‘off’ aroma.

All of the flesh is edible, females tend to be more orange in colour, whereas males are paler.

COOKING METHODS

Steam, poach, deep-fry, pan-fry, stir-fry, bake, grill, barbecue, smoke, raw (sashimi), pickle. The firm flesh holds together well in soups, curries and stir-fries.

GOES WELL WITH

Bacon, breadcrumbs, butter, chilli, coriander, fennel, garlic, herbs, lemon, lime, mayonnaise, olive oil, onion, parsley, pepper, Pernod, potatoes, saffron, tomato, white wine.

ALLERGY ADVICE: CONTAINS: MOLLUSC.

PRODUCT OF NEW ZEALAND.