Julia Child week continues at Foodista! Last night I prepared Julia’s appetizer of Mussels Marinated in Oil and Herbs. I was looking to cook something quick and delicious and slightly off the beaten path of weeknight dinners. If you are a shellfish fan like I am, you’ll love it. Fresh herbs, vermouth and sweet mussel meat creates one tasty dish! Although created as an appetizer, these herb-y mussels would be perfect added to a salad with some scallops or shrimp or just added to a light angel hair pasta.

Love mussels? Here are three other mussel recipes that I’m planning to make in the near future.
Sausage and Mussel Soup with Kale From imafoodblog

Cedar Planked Mussels From Steamy Kitchen Food Blog

Moules Fromage Bleu From Laura’s Best Recipes Blog

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It wasn’t until I lived in Seattle, with easy access to Taylor Shellfish Farms, that I truly began to love mussels. How many meals afford you the opportunity to gobble and scoop with the food’s own shell? Such satisfaction is gained from a big bowl of steamed mussels, a good glass of white white and a crusty bread for dipping into the juices.

I adore clams and love oysters, but to me, mussels are so much sweeter. The briny liquor that they release when cooked adds such rich flavor and versatility.

While there are many species of mussels, we generally only find two in American markets. The most common is the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis). Why they are called blue, I don’t know, because they are actually black. The other type are the beautiful blue-green mussels (Perna canaliculus). These hail from New Zealand and are a bit more expensive than their blue brother, and are also larger, making them good for stuffing.

My favorite way to prepare mussels (either species) is with white wine, parsley and garlic, also known as moules á la marinière.

Moules á la Marinière

For 4 main-course servings:
6 lbs mussels
2 C dry white wine
3 shallots, finely chopped or sliced garlic
1 bay leaf
3 T finely chopped parsley
1-2 cloves thinly sliced garlic
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 stick (or 1/4 lb) of butter
fresh ground pepper
Wash the mussels and pull away the beards.

Combine the wine, shallots, bay leaf, parsley, and thyme in a stockpot and simmer over medium heat. After about 5 minutes add the mussels, cover the pot, and turn heat up to high.
When at a full steam, lower to medium and cook for about 5 minutes more.
Hold the lid down and shake the pot to redistribute the mussels. Return to heat for about 2-3 more minutes.
Remove from heat and remove any mussels that have not opened. (Really, folks, don’t mess with the unopened ones).
Carefully pour remaining liquid into a clean saucepan. Sand may be remaining so be careful to not dump all at once, pour gently and slowly.
Add the chopped parsley and garlic to the hot broth and whisk in butter and pepper. Heat for a couple of minutes then ladle over mussels. Serve with a crusty French bread and you’re in business.

Bon appétit!

Here’s a wonderful article from Cook & Eat on mussels and potatoes
Bay of Fundy’s Spiced Beer Mussels sound wonderful as well.

More important information on how to Buy, Store & Clean mussels.

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On our way back from an enjoyable 2-day retreat at the Real Del Mar in Mexico we stopped by Point Loma Seafoods (an in-the-marina fish market in San Diego) to buy provisions for our New Year’s seafood feast. Live Dungeness crab, tombo ahi fillets, smoked tuna and mussels were meticulously selected and sniffed out by Barnaby’s father, Ron, who posesses the nose of a prized hound dog on big hunt.

We began our culinary féte with champagne and caviar (see Part I), then moved to the deck to watch the Christmas lit boats in Marina Del Rey. It was a wonderful evening filled with family, promises of New Year resolutions and plates full of Neptune’s bounty.

Happy New Year to you all!

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