When it comes to shellfish, there are typically 2 camps: love it, or, not so much. Me? I’m crazy about shellfish and find it is impossible to let June pass by without highlighting one of my favorite summer meals on Inn Cuisine.
Perfect for luncheons on the patio, evening appetizers or breezy summer dinners on the deck, a bountiful plate of mussels with pasta is ideal for summer entertaining. When paired with a chilled bottle of crisp, dry or semi-dry white wine, these mussels only get better bite after succulent bite.
If you’ve never cooked mussels at your home, I think you’ll be surprised to learn how simple and rewarding this meal is to prepare. One of the first things you’ll want to consider of course, is what kind of mussels to use.
When shopping for mussels, I suggest buying mussels that are harvested under environmentally and economically sustainable guidelines. Not only do they tend to be safer (farmed shellfish beds are routinely monitored by local and state government agencies and are better choices than other types of ocean-farmed seafood like salmon or shrimp), but farmed mussels are less gritty, good for mother Earth and becoming increasingly easier to find.
Here in Kansas City, about as far inland as you can get from either coast, I readily find and purchase farmed Blue mussels imported from Canada and endorsed by the Seafood Choices Alliance. These mussels are grown on suspended lines and tend to have a moderate flavor and firmer texture than clams, making them a standout in this particular dish, whether served as an appetizer or main course.
Other sustainable options endorsed by the Seafood Choices Alliance include: Mediterranean mussels and New Zealand greenshell mussels.
Mediterranean mussels, a European favorite traditionally sourced from France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Greece, Italy and Spain, are now also grown on the west coast of the United States. Considerably more meaty than Blue mussels, Mediterranean mussels are delightful to eat but could be harder to locate as they are typically available spring through fall, making them more difficult to source in the off season.
You could also choose imported New Zealand greenshell mussels, which tend to be about 30% larger than Blue mussels. While New Zealand greenshell mussels are a fine choice, here in the United States they tend to arrive individually frozen on the half shell or smoked which makes them less than ideal to use in this particular dish.
While seasonal influences and geographic location will determine what mussels you’ll find fresh and available through your local grocer or seafood market, I stand by the suggestion to purchase sustainably grown and responsibly harvested mussels. For more information on these mussels and other shellfish, you’re invited to visit the web sites of these trusted associations:
- Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (PCSGA)
- Prince Edward Island (PEI) Aquaculture Alliance
- New Zealand Greenshell Mussels
Up next…
If you find yourself hesitant to cook mussels because you either: (1) have never done it (2) don’t know how or (3) fear being able to distinguish between a live mussel and a dead one, Inn Cuisine has you covered. The next installment will have you on your way to steaming mussels like a pro!
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I love mussels. I know they of freak a lot of people out but I think it’s just inexperience of eating them or they have had ones with too much sand in them. This looks like a great recipe.
Sandie, I too get the east coast Canadian mussels…fresh is always best for shellfish and mussels are affordable and delish. The broth alone from the mussels probably made your pasta taste delish.
I’m firmly in the pro-shellfish camp — after all, I do live in the land of the clam!
I’ve been trying hard to push myself to try all kinds of seafood over the past year or two. I avoided pretty much anything from the ocean for no good reason really…and now I’m making up for lost time. I still haven’t conquered shellfish though (although I guess I’ve had scallops at sushi joints)…one of these days!
Now this surprises me because of the texture… I’m surprised you would go for the mussels when the texture of scallops turn you off.
NP – I completely agree and thanks!
Peter – The broth IS to-die-for delicious. Whether soaked up with pasta or fresh, crusty bread, it’s *almost* as good as the mussels themselves.
Lydia – I would have been shocked had you been in the “not so much” camp considering your geographic location.
Mike – Avoiding seafood for no good reason? Hmmm…I say a trip to the coast is in order—coupled with a fat glass of wine or beer and taking in a big, orange sunset as you feast on shrimp, lobster, mussels, crab legs and clams—ought to be enough to curb your landfaring ways.
Kristen – I remember that conversation! What turned me off about scallops wasn’t so much their texture, it was their taste—the last time I ordered scallops for dinner (at an upscale seafood restaurant nonetheless) the scallops were spoiled, fishy and disgusting. Ever since that fateful bite (when I was expecting another flavor completely), I’ve not been able to get that horrible taste out of my mind whenever I think of scallops. At this point I’m sure it’s purely psychosomatic, so I’ll have to learn to suppress my gag reflex whenever I see them and give scallops another try!