5 Great Ways to Eat Mussels

Learn the Best Ways to Clean and Prepare Mussels

Francois de Melogue
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4 min readApr 7, 2021

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I love cooking mussels at home because they are both quick and easy to do. Really the ultimate fast food dish. My favorite mussel recipes are a comforting cross between a soup and a hearty hot meal. Once you master the basic preparation, you can easily add a few different ingredients to create your own new variations. Be sure to serve with plenty of toasted bread for dipping into the flavor-packed broth or even try serving with French Fries.

Turmeric and Ginger Mussels photographed by Francois de Melogue

How to Clean and Debeard Mussels

It is important to only clean the mussels within an hour of cooking them. Tap any open mussels on the counter to see if they are still alive; discard any that do not immediately close. Soak the mussels in cold water with a sprinkle of salt for 1 hour. Scrub the mussels with a small brush or a paring knife to remove anything that clings to the shell. Pull off the beard that sticks out from between the shells (this is how the mussel clings to rocks and various things in the ocean).

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Learn how to make steamed mussels the French way, moules marinières or ‘sailor-style mussels’. The mussels are simply steamed in white wine and herbs. From start…

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Heated
Heated

Published in Heated

Food from every angle: A publication from Medium x Mark Bittman

Francois de Melogue
Francois de Melogue

Written by Francois de Melogue

My earliest attempt at cookery began with the filleting of my sister's goldfish at age 2 and cooking my pet rabbits by age 7. Life has been downhill ever since.