How to Pull Out Mussels from a Shell

Another “Wow!” factor dish for you to think about making is mussels. Figure a pound of mussels per person for a main-course portion, some onion and garlic, a fresh herb (thyme works best), a little cream or milk, Dijon mustard, and a bottle of beer (preferably a dark ale or lager). Also, don’t forget a baguette to soak up the broth.

The cooking process is straightforward once you clean the mussels.

To clean, first inspect the mussels (which should still be alive). Cracked mussels should be thrown out. Closed mussels are fine to clean and cook. Open mussels should be closed by pushing shells together once with your fingers. Set aside; if the open mussels are alive, they will react and close. These are safe to clean and cook. If they don’t shut, discard; they are probably dead.

When cleaning the mussels, don’t soak or hold the mussels under running water. This will wash away some of the mussels’ flavor (through microscopic openings between the shells). Scrub the shells with a rough-sided sponge or old toothbrush and make sure to remove the beard (any hair-like filament emanating from inside the mussel). Set aside in a bowl until all the mussels are cleaned.