Mussels, The Jewels Of The Sea

Mussels are different all around the world. I have feasted on them in Ireland, England, various places in Europe, Australia and North America and in my humble opinion, the best mussels in the world come from New Zealand.

They are called Green Lipped Mussels. Their official name is Perna canaliculus and they are bigger than mussels harvested in other countries. They are a cultivated species in New Zealand and are exported all over the world, shipped frozen on the half shell.

Green-lipped mussels are cultivated in the ocean and are farmed in the same way. Juvenile mussels or "spat" as they are known are collected from west coast beaches on the New Zealand coastline where they wash up on the shoreline clinging to clumps of seaweed. After being delivered to a mussel farm, the baby mussels are transferred to nursery ropes in the open sea attached to buoys. At six months, they are removed and reseeded onto long lines stretches of rope up to several kilometers long, suspended between buoys anchored to the sea bottom.

The young mussels are grown for between nine to 12 months before they are harvested. Mussel barges, which harvest the mussels, are highly mechanized and are equipped with equipment that removes mussels from the lines, de-clumps, washes and sorts them. From this stage, they are shipped to a processing plant where they are partially cooked and the top shell is removed. The mussel, still attached to the half shell is quick frozen, packaged and shipped around the world. I buy them from my local supermarket in one kilogram bags, enough for 3 meals.

My favorite recipe for this very tasty seafood is cooked in garlic as follows.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg (2.25lbs) frozen mussels New Zealand

A tablespoon of butter

6 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped

A small white onion, finely chopped

One cup of white wine. A dry wine such as a Reisling works well.

1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley

1 cup of cream

1 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Defrost the mussels in a pot of warm water.

In a large saucepan, saute the chopped onion and garlic in the butter until it's translucent.

Add the cup of wine, the fish sauce and the salt.

Add the mussels and cover to steam for 10 minutes.

Remove the mussels and set them to one side.

Bring the cooking liquid almost to a boil, add the cream and half of the parsley. Maintain just below simmer until reduced by half.

Strain the cooking juices into another pan and add the other half of the parsley. Simmer for a few minutes while arranging the mussels in a bowl.

Pour the sauce over the mussels and serve with warm bread and a cold glass of Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, the best SB in the world.

If you are a lover of seafood and have not tried green-lipped mussels before, you are in for a treat. They are meaty and full of flavor and - they are good for you, containing anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids and chondroitin sulfate. In addition to these nutrients, these mussels from down-under are a good source of zinc and an excellent source of iron, selenium, and several B-vitamins.

They are a great addition to bouillabaisse or any seafood stew. When I was a kid, my mother would make mussel fritters that were one of my favorite meals. These make a nice snack or can be used as a basis for a meal. I make them from time to time with chopped mussels mixed in with flour, parsley and eggs. If you want a top-notch recipe, try this one from New Zealand.

Bon appetit.

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