Manchester Mussels
No other ingredient evokes so many memories and emotions for me as do mussels. They were one of my mother’s favorite foods and she prepared them very thoughtfully and often, for close friends and family. One of her biggest joys was collecting mussels from Shinnecock Bay in Southampton. She took me there several times when I was very young, at low tide when we could venture out to the rocks where the mussels lived. They were covered in barnacles and were a mess to look at, especially compared with the mussels we can get nowadays at most markets.
She insisted on shallots instead of onions, and carefully minced and slowly sautéed them (in butter or olive oil? I’m not sure) to soften until they practically melted away. Every time I make mussels I reconnect with my mother and feel proud to continue her elegant and homey tradition.
While visiting friends in Manchester-by-the Sea, Massachusetts, my Belgian friend requested mussels, specifically mussels with bacon. We bought super fresh mussels from a local seafood store and I created this recipe to show appreciation for my wonderful hosts, and make my mother proud.
Serves 4
2 T olive oil
4 slices bacon, cut into strips
4 shallots, minced
1 bunch fresh thyme or oregano
1-2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt
¼ cup dry white wine
4 lbs mussels (1 lb per person)
Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 T Dijon mustard
In a Dutch oven or large pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat for 30 seconds and then add the bacon strips. Stir to coat with the oil and then sauté for a few minutes until the bacon has rendered most of it’s fat and it starting to turn brown.
Add the shallots, herbs, a pinch of salt and stir into the bacon. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the shallots have softened and mixed well with the bacon. Cooking the shallots gently until they are soft is critical.
Add the garlic slices and sauté for about 1 minute.
*You can prepare the dish to this point ahead of time and pick up from here when it’s time to eat*
Bring the bacon-shallot mixture to a gentle simmer and pour in the white wine. Stir and let simmer for 1 minute.
Add the mussels. Cover the lid and raise the heat to high. Check on the mussels after 4 minutes. They are done when the shells have opened.
With a slotted spoon or a spider, remove the mussels and most of the bacon-shallot mixture and place in a separate clean bowl.
To the remaining liquid, add the mustard and whisk over high heat until incorporated and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
Turn of the heat, add the parsley and the reserved mussels and sauce. Stir to evenly coat the mussels in the parsley and the sauce.
To serve: each diner should have a bowl of mussels and a plate for French fries or gluten-free bread. There should be a large, preferably communal, bowl for discarding the shells.
Soaking mussels in salt water
Luckily, mussels are inexpensive and sustainable – a responsible choice. Cleaning mussels requires some time and attention, no matter where they are from. When I come home with mussels, I fill a large bowl or even the kitchen sink with cold salty water – make sure to dissolve the salt fully. I place the mussels in the salt water and either put them in the refrigerator or keep them cold in the sink for about 30 minutes. The mussels purge themselves and after one or two soaks, they are clean inside. Rinse them with cold water and scrub the shells as best you can to remove any growths. They can rest in the refrigerator (not in water) until ready to cook, at which time they need to be de-bearded.
Not all mussels have beards protruding from the shell, but for those with beards, pull them out completely using your fingers or pliers.
De-beard those mussels!
Once the beards are removed, the mussels will begin to die, so de-beard them as close to cooking time as possible. Clean mussels are imperative for a delicious meal, so don’t rush the cleaning process. Throw out any cracked mussels or any that don’t close after a few taps on the shell. Mussels are cheap and it isn’t worth it to eat a bad mussel. When in doubt, throw it out.
