Muscles?

Riamfada

I was wondering does anyone know where to get the best mussles in the Dublin area? And How exactly do you cook them?

Tazz T

Mussels are one of the easiest things in the world to cook. Preparing them is a different matter. Cleaning, removing beards and oversized barnacles is a real hassle. If you're prepared to this, then they're very cheap from any fishmonger.

However I find the ones in the vacuum packets (I think they're called Carrowkeel) are fantastic. They will keep in your fridge for ages until you're ready to use them and they're often on offer.

They have the garlic butter already added too. Simply put in a pan, cover and bring to the boil with a glass of white wine shaking occasionally until they've opened. Don't overcook. Literally a few minutes. And never eat any that don't open.

For added interest tthrow in a sliced chili and half a tin of tomatoes, maybe some coriander/parsely - the juices that are left behind are excellent with fresh french bread.

Another of my favourite recipes with mussels is Mussels Saganaki. Saute a large red onion sliced, not chopped. Add tin of tomatoes in a pan roughly chopped with a couple of garlic cloves, another glass of white wine, some origano, juice of half a lemon and a little sugar to take the edge of the tartness. Boil down, place in ovenproof dish add cooked mussels (i remove from shells first) add cubes of feta cheese and drizzle olive oil across the dish and heat under grill for five minutes.

Again, superb with fresh warm French bread. Maybe some skinny oven fries on the side.

dudara

The one thing that Tazz T forgot to mention is how to check that mussels from the fishmonger are still alive.

When you get the mussels, tip them into a sink of cold water, scrub the outsides to remove any silt, and pull off the beard, a kind of fibrous thread hanging from the shell. If any of the mussels are open, tap them on a hard surface and see if they close up. If they do, then they're fine, any that remain open, chuck them in the bin. Also keep your nose open, any mussel that smells particularly bad, chuck in the bin.

One of my favourite things to do is to make a thai style soup and steam the mussel in it. Basically, onion, garlic, chilli, lemongrass, ginger, fish sauce and come coconut milk. Suits the mussels particularly well.

FergusF

Grimes wrote:

I was wondering does anyone know where to get the best mussles in the Dublin area? And How exactly do you cook them?

Not sure about where to buy in Dublin, any quality fishmonger should have them, I seem to remember a good one in a lane off to the right near the top of Grafton St, it is across from an AIB I believe, not sure the street name.

Best to buy fresh ones, not breaded or in a sauce. Cook them as soon as possible after you buy them, they will keep a day or 2 in the fridge (in an open bowl and not in a plastic bag).

Preparation is dead easy, dump them into a sink of cold water and give them a light scrub with a veg brush, also pull off the 'beard', a hairy tuft along the seam, that they use to stick to the rock. Don't worry if you don't get it all, it detaches easily once cooked. If any are slightly open give them a tap on the edge of the sink, if they don't close up throw them away as they are bad.

To cook, there are loads of methods but here are 2 simple ones:
1. Put a small glass of white wine in the bottom of a large pan with a tight fitting lid, put onto a high heat, toss in the mussels and cover. Give the pan a few shakes as it heats up. Once steam starts coming out give them 1-2 minutes then open lid. The mussels should all be open and ready to eat. Toss into a big bowl along with the juices and serve with brown bread & more white wine.

2. Same as 1 but instead of wine use freshly - squeezed juice of 1 orange plus a couple of bay leaves

Alun

Not sure about where to buy in Dublin, any quality fishmonger should have them, I seem to remember a good one in a lane off to the right near the top of Grafton St, it is across from an AIB I believe, not sure the street name.

Sawers (?) on Chatham Street, the same street as the cook shop and the Great Outdoors, although the AIB bank has long gone ... it's a clothes shop of some description now.

Alun

To add to FergusF's basic recipe, I usually first sweat off a finely chopped shallot in some butter before adding the wine. Then when the mussels are cooked, remove them temporarily, thicken the stock lightly with some beurre manier (flour and butter blended together), and then re-add the mussels and a handful of chopped flatleaf parsley.

Riamfada

Well i cooked the mussels and they turned out fantastic. Had with Cold Pasta, Garlic Bread , Salad and a fantastic Chardonnay. With candles and great company. Thanks for the help guys. Was fantastic