How to Buy, Prepare and Cook Mussels!

Mussels are one of my absolute favourites when it comes to seafood. There are, however, a few key points to consider when it comes to buying, cooking, and eating these peculiar little bivalves. Here are my top tips to avoid ending up with a bad tummy. All mussel experiences should be as happy as this one (see picture!)

BUYING

1. Make sure you buy from a reputable fish-monger. Choosing a fish market is very important when buying anything from salmon to oysters. When you enter a fish market, the last thing you should smell is fish! You should notice smells like seawater, seaweed, parsley, but never the strong smell of fish.
2. Always check to see if your mussels are alive. To do this, take a few and knock them on a hard surface, if they are alive, they should close up as a response. Only buy live mussels. Furthermore, when it comes to cooking, knock each one individually before adding to the pot. Discard any non-closers immediately, they are bad.

PREPARING

1. Remove the “beards” from the mussels with a knife. Try trapping the green fibres between the knife blade and your thumb and pulling it out, but be careful!
2. Scrub the shells with a wire brush to remove any dirt and grime, and pop them into some cold water to keep them fresh while you get your pan ready.

COOKING

The simplest recipe for mussels is moules mariniere. This is an old French sailor’s recipe, and simply delicious served up in a huge bowl with crusty bread on the side with which to mop up the sumptuous, creamy sauce. 

1. Soften a few chopped shallots and crushed garlic in some butter over a low heat, being careful not to brown either.
2. Add the mussels and a glass or two of  dry white wine. Place the lid firmly on, turn the heat up, and steam in their own juices for 3 –4 minutes. Make sure you disturb them every 30 seconds or so by shaking the pan with the lid still on.
3. Add some double cream (as much as you fancy) and some chopped parsley. Remove from the heat.
4. Serve in a large bowl with crusty bread on the side.

Enjoy!

The Jamie Oliver Flavor Shaker

Jamie’s product, the “Flavor Shaker”, is a weird looking thing at first, isn’t it? For while I was convinced it was either a sex toy or a musical instrument. It turns out, however, to be a remarkably ingenious little tool which can be used much like a pestle and mortar (for dummies!) Essentially, it’s as easy as popping your ingredients into the main section (these will usually be the ingredients for a vinaigrette or some kind of sauce), securing the lid and finally giving it a good old shake. The metal ball inside bashes your ingredients up, and blends them into a smooth mixture.

Apart from the choking hazard of the small metal part inside, the product is 100% safe if kept away from small children and pets. I give this product a well-deserved 8/10 and highly recommend giving it a try.

The Ultimate Fish and Pasta Dish

This is a recipe I created myself, using some basic techniques used commonly in European cookery. The sauce is a very basic, yet delicious white wine and cream creation, with garlic and mild chilli heat. I recommend using double cream to add a richness, though it's not essential. As for the wine, there is a golden rule in cookery: "never cook with wine you would not be happy to drink a whole bottle of!" With this in mind, choose your favourite white, something dry, and let's get started!

MAKE THE SAUCE

This may seem counter-intuitive, but stick with me. This sauce reheats very well, so if you prepare it now it will be perfectly edible for reheating from warm or even cold later! I wouldn't, however, store it for more than a night in the fridge due to the cream.

1. Finely chop some garlic into tiny cubes, about 3 cloves will be sufficient. Chop an onion in two, then slice each half into thin wedges so that the segments fall apart nicely. Next quarter a few button mushrooms, or if you have them, try chestnut mushrooms for a more traditional taste.
2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil, not extra virgin, in a pan and add the garlic and onion. Cook down until soft but not brown. 
3. Add the mushrooms and pour a healthy slug of wine over, about 2 glasses. Crumble a vegetable stock cube into the sauce and put the lid on. Simmer for 5 -10 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.
4. Add about 2 wine glasses of double cream and heat through for a few minutes. Turn the heat off and season with salt and pepper, and add some chopped red chilli if you wish. Done.

COOK THE PASTA AND FISH

I suggest using something like cod or haddock, but more sustainable options such as ling or even pollock will work nicely. We are going to simply bake the fish with a splash of white wine.

1. Rip off a large piece of tin foil and place 4 cod fillets on the sheet. Make sure you lightly oil the surface first to prevent sticking. 
2. Pour some white wine over, and season well with salt and pepper. For extra succulence, rub some butter into the fish with your fingers. 
3. Bake for about 20 minutes at 180 Celcius.
4. Boil some water and add your favourite pasta. This dish works especially well with spaghetti or linguini, but you can use whatever you like.

ASSEMBLE THE DISH

This is where it all comes together. Reheat the sauce and throw the drained pasta in, toss gently to coat the pasta. Serve a nice big pile in the middle of each plate, with the lovely, perfectly-cooked fish on top, still as a fillet. Pour more sauce over the top and add some grated parmesan.

Perfect, enjoy!

Spicy-Crusted Salmon with Buttery Sweet Potato Mash

This is a rather interesting recipe. You might think that the combination would be a little too much, what with the salmon and sweet potatoes both having extremely distinct flavours. However, I think you'll find the combination rich, sweet, and full of satisfyingly spicy garlickyness (my new favourite cooking term!)

PREPARE THE FISH

1. Lay out three plates. One should contain self-raising flour, the other beaten egg and the final a special mixture of breadcrumbs, cayenne pepper and maybe some dried chilli flakes if you're feeling particularly adventurous.
2. Dip the salmon into the flour, egg and then crumb mixes one at a time, making sure even coverage is obtained. You should end up with a nicely crumbed piece of salmon ready for frying.
3. When your potatoes are nearly finished (see below), fry your salmon for about 10 minutes in a shallow pan of sunflower oil. Don't use an oil with a distinctive flavour, and don't fry it too hot, or you will burn the salmon oil and make your kitchen smell like an Indonesian fish processing plant for the next few months! When finished, place on your pile of mashed potatoes and enjoy with a sprig of coriander for garnish.

MAKE THE MASH

If you are used to eating plain old mashed potatoes then this is going to be a real treat. These potatoes are sweet, yet strangely respond amazingly well to some salt and garlic running through them. What you end up with is a rich, satisfying, creamy concoction which melts on the mouth and compliments the salmon perfectly.

1. Peel as many sweet potatoes as you like, I'd say 1.5 per person should do if they are of a reasonable size (the potatoes not the people!) Chop them into slices of about 1 cm thick to make it easier to soften them, as the last thing was want to be doing is standing around waiting for our potatoes to be ready!
2. Boil them in salted water for about 10 minutes, or however long it takes to be able to slide a knife through with minimal effort.
3. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Add a generous helping of cream and butter, plus dried or fresh garlic to taste. Add also some chilli flakes or other spices if you fancy being daring (don't come crying to me if you mess things up though!)
4. Bash them with the bottom of a glass, or use a masher if you'd prefer, then beat them with a wooden spoon to make them creamy but not runny.
5. Spoon your potatoes into a steaming pile in the middle of the plate and rest the salmon on top. Garnish as suggested above.

Let the salivation commence!