A Bundle of Mussel Joy

About author / Amy Powell

World traveler; gourmet 30 minute meals; lover of exotic ingredients; winner on FoodTV's Chefs vs City; graduate French Culinary Institute. Her recipes will tantalize your taste buds.

So here I am, carrying one 5 lb., 3 oz bundle of pure heaven all wrapped up tight and ready to take home. Inside the bundle it glistens, all black and shiny… with a beard. No, this bundle of joy is not a super small baby but an extra large sack of mussels recently purchased and bound for my stove and stomach.

These mussels weren’t all intended for me. Still, I eventually downed about half of them myself at a recent dinner party. Sadly, although I have a great affection for this inexpensive and delicious bivalve, I believe it is mostly misunderstood. Which is how I ended up eating a majority of those 5 lbs. of mussels while the other guests seemed wary. I did not want a single mouth-watering mollusk to go to waste.

I can understand why the mussel can be a bit scary to both prepare and consume. Any food that one buys still alive (for there are not many that come that way), and that one is not really able to see the edible portion thereof until it is cooked, can seem like a leap of faith indeed. Luckily, there are some standard rules of preparation and consumption that virtually ensure that that little mollusk will be alive going into the pot and quite the opposite coming out, making it safe for your dining pleasure.

First step when bringing that sack of mussels home is to rinse and sort them in a colander. Pick through the mussels and discard any that are open--that probably means they are dead already. Only tightly closed mussels should be destined for the pot. You can also pick off any noticeable beards at this point; those are the hair-like fibers coming out of a few. These beards are totally harmless but perhaps not so aesthetically pleasing. To make the most of this sorting time, it is now appropriate to be sweating leeks in butter, sautéing chorizo, or generally preparing whatever you will serve as the liquid base in a large pot in which the mussels will be steamed.

Once cooked, the other rule is if it isn’t all the way open, throw it out. Those mussels are probably bad too. They may not have been all the way cooked, and it's better not to risk it.

Around the world, mussels have their place as parts of larger dishes such as bouillabaisse or are smoked and mixed in with salads. But my favorite way to prepare these little guys is like the Belgians: served as the focal point of the meal, steamed in large quantities in a flavorful base alongside a healthy portion of French fries.

Eating mussels as a meal can be another daunting process, as you're faced with a huge bowl of shells that must be at least partially pried open to get to the treasure inside. The best plan of attack is to toss the silverware aside and dig right in… yes, with your hands! Find a good shell with the joint still intact and use it like something of a mollusk chopstick, pinching the shell to dig into the next shell and sort of tweeze out the sweet meat inside. Beyond that the mussels are cooked in a most delicious broth that should not go to waste and is best appreciated with a good chunk of crusty bread to soak it up.

That little bundle of mussel joy may be destined for my dinner table but I can assure you that the love I feel for it is pure and real. I hope others can begin to look past their misgivings and learn to appreciate--if not adore--these yummy creatures like I do. But if not, it’s just more for me!

Serves/Makes: 4

• 4 pounds mussels
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 leeks, white part only
• 2 cloves garlic
• 8 ounces raw chorizo sausage
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 bottle cava, or other sparkling wine
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley
• French bread