A popular seafood dish, mussels are a specific variety of shellfish that are quite popular amongst seafood lovers. The key characteristic of families that are classified as mussels are a more rounded shell that are typically coloured dark blue, blackish or brown. Like many other varieties of shellfish, mussels have been a popular delicacy for over thousands of years having been eaten in Europe, North America and Asia.
The story goes that in 1920 an Irishman became shipwrecked in the French city of La Rochelle. Being hungry he devised a method of trapping seabirds through the use of a poles and netting. However an unexpected side effect was that the netting provided the perfect habitat for mussels and the Irishman reeled them in along with the poultry that he had caught. The accuracy of the said story may be questionable, but it is a known fact that the Romans had mussel beds.
So how does once exactly prepare mussels for eating? Like with any cooking half of the work revolves around picking quality ingredients and when preparing mussels there is no exception. When purchasing always choose mussels that are tightly closed and devoid of cracks. Mussels are cooked alive as when they are alive their immune systems fight off disease. This no longer happens once they are dead which greatly increases the chances of food poisoning. It is important to cook your mussels as soon as possible or within 24 hours of purchasing.
If the shell is slightly opened and does not close when slightly tapped then do not purchase. In a similar manner, any that do not open when cooked should not be eaten. If they are light and appear to rattle when shaken they should not be used as this indicates a mussel that has died and broken off from its shell. Conversely a mussel that weighs too much indicates one that has died and has become filled with sand. While fresh water mussels can also be eaten they are generally considered unpalatable in comparison to the seawater variety.
Despite being less gritty than clams and oysters mussels still have to be cleaned by both rinsing and scrubbing with a small brush. If the mussel