I want mussels! Do you?

Originally shared by Samantha Han

I want mussels! Do you?

(recipe below)

Mussels are cheap, fast to cook and simply delicious!

For those of you who do not have shellfish allergy, I strongly recommend having mussels in your diet. Mussels contain proficient levels of essential long-chain fatty acids such as the EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and the DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which is beneficial for improving brain function and reducing inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis.

Mussels are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals such as zinc, which helps strengthen our body’s immunity. They also contain levels of iron and folic acid to rival red meats. More importantly, these molluscs have two rare amino acids – D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) which you just can’t buy from pharmacies or vitamin shops. Take note that cooking does reduce the quantity of D-Asp and NDMA molecules, so do not overcook them.

Quick Cooking Mussel Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 to 1.5kg Mussels, in shells.

250ml White Wine.

5 Shallots, minced (or 1 small red onion).

1 clove Garlic, minced.

1 fresh Tomato, diced (or canned, optional).

Salt, a pinch (optional).

Black Pepper (optional, when serving).

Italian Parsley, chopped (add when about to serve).

A drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (when serving).

1 Crusty Bread or Garlic Toasts.

Method:

1. Place the mussels into a large bowl of cold water. Swish them around with your hands to wash them. Rinse and repeat a couple more times.

2. Scrub shells with a rough sponge thoroughly. Use a small sharp knife to scrape off any barnacles attached to the shells. Discard any mussels with broken shells.

3. Pull off the beards using the knife to help you – they just need a good tug. The beard is the brown wispy bit hanging out of the join in the shells but not all mussels have beards.

4. If any mussels are open, tap them sharply against the side of the sink or worktop. If they don’t close, discard them – they are dead and not edible.

5. Rinse the mussels again in fresh cold water to remove any grits and drain in a colander.

6. Put the drained mussels into a large pot, then add the wine and chopped shallot. The pot should not be more than half full – the mussels need plenty of space to move around so that they cook thoroughly.

7. Set the pot over a high heat and cover tightly with a lid. When the pot starts to steam, cook the mussels for another 3-4 mins, shaking the pot from time to time to ensure they cook evenly. They are cooked when the shells have opened. Mussels that have not opened are fine to eat if they can be easily opened and do not have bad smell.

8. Remove the pot from the heat to stop cooking any further. Sprinkle the mussels with chopped parsley, stir to mix. Ladle mussels and some broth into warmed bowls.

9. Drizzle a little olive oil, more parsley, some freshly ground black pepper and serve with bread.

Happy cooking, eating and bonding 🙂

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