no, that's not a typo and I didn't mean to post it on the exercise board.

My HFS has a sale on fresh mussels flown in from PEI. I have never had them! I'm committed to trying new things, tho, and want to grab some and give it a whirl. You just boil them in water and/or stock, I assume and serve them with loads of butter. (I'll look it up if no one confirms or denies this for me).

What do they taste like? thanks in advance!

Typically lots of garlic and white wine. They are softer and sweeter than clams.

Here are two recipes for clams, but they work fine with mussels. The second is on the menu at the restaurant - using mussels - and we sells tons of it.

Steamed Clams with Saffron, Tomatoes and Pancetta
Serves 4

Use bacon if you don't have pancetta.

2 Tbsp. olive oil 30 ml
4 cloves garlic, minced 4
4 Tbsp. finely diced pancetta 60 ml
2 Tbsp. white wine or cider vinegar 30 ml
large pinch of saffron
16 ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half 16
1 tsp. coarsely crushed black pepper 5 ml
2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley 30 ml
3 lbs. fresh Manila clams, scrubbed 1.35 kg

In a pot large enough to hold the clams, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and pancetta. When they begin to sizzle, add the vinegar, wine and saffron. Remove from the heat and let stand until the saffron begins to release its color. Add the tomatoes, pepper, parsley and clams. Cover with a lid and cook over high heat, shaking the pot occasionally, until the clams open. Divide the clams among 4 bowls and serve immediately.


Clams Steamed in Spicy Coconut Lime Broth
Serves 4

1 14-oz. (398-ml) tin unsweetened coconut milk 1
½ cup canned or bottled clam nectar 120 ml
1 cup well-drained, finely diced, canned plum tomatoes 240 ml
1 Tbsp. cilantro leaves 15 ml
2 green onions, thinly sliced 2
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger 15 ml
½ tsp. turmeric 2.5 ml
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped 1
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice 30 ml
1 lime, thinly sliced 1
3 lbs. fresh Manila clams, scrubbed 1.35 kg

In a large pot combine all the ingredients except the clams. Bring to a boil and add the clams. Cover and cook until the clams open, shaking the pot occasionally. Ladle the clams and broth into heated bowls and serve.


Karen

Sounds great, Karen! I have some steamers in the fridge that I bought yesterday. I'm gonna give your recipe a try. I find that I can't eat as many mussels as I can clams because of the richer taste. I LOVE living on the East Coast. GREAT seafood! Don't forget....watch those carbs in the clams!

Bob

Thankyou Karen,

Those recipes sound great. I just had a similar dish last night and wishing I had a recipe. Can't wait to try them.

Angelfish

You might want to search on the Internet for recipes using the word Moules (French for Mussels). Moules a la Mariniere is a classic French dish and is absolutely delicious.

They are very easy to cook, and only take a few minutes, but you must take a few minutes to prepare them first. If they are live mussels, they should close when tapped lightly. If they stay open, they are dead, do not eat these as you may get food poisoning. Fill your sink with water and put all the mussels in to get rid of any sand. Scrub them lightly with a vegetable brush and cut or pull off the beard (the green/brown whiskers). Because the mussels inside the shells are not very big, you will need at least 500gm (1lb) per person.

Moules a la Mariniere
Use a large saucepan with a lid, and if you are allowed them on your low carb diet, add 3-4 chopped shallots (scallions) and 1 sliced onion) with 300ml (half pint) dry white wine or vermouth. Cook for about 6-8 minutes. Add 1.8kg (4lb) mussels, cover the pan and steam aover a high heat for 3-5 minutes or until all then shells have opened, stirring and turning them over occasionally. If any mussels stay firmly shut, discard them as they will be dead. Spoon the rest into a large bowl. If there is any grit in the cooking liquid strain it through a muslin bag or paper towel or pour it carefully into another pan leaving the sediment. Bring these juices up to boiling point and add 150ml (quarter pint) double (thick) cream. Season with a little sea salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper to taste and pour over mussels. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

You can also cook any quantity of mussels more simply. Prepare them as above and put into a saucepan to which you have about two inches of half water and half white wine with some finely sliced onion and crushed garlic. Once it is boiling add the mussels and cook until they have opened which will only take a few minutes. Don't overcook them as they will become tough. Spoon into a bowl and pour juices over leaving any gritty sediment behind. Sprinkle liberally with chopped parsley. Traditionally eaten with a glass of white wine and French bread to soak up the juices, but it is just as enjoyable without the bread.

If you are using frozen mussels and want recipes let me know. The NZ green lipped mussels are very good for arthritis and are usually sold frozen. All mussels are high in vitamins and minerals.

Try steaming them in beer and water. Steam for 3-4 minutes until they open. Discard any mussels that did not open.

T minus 4 weeks and counting until i'm dining on lobster and mussels in PEI. I won't be able to eat near as much as I would like. Lobster has more carbs than I would have figured