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Questions tagged [mussels]

32 questions
14
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2 answers

What does "de-bearding" mussels mean?

Have come across this in quite a few recipes, that mussels need to be cleaned and de-bearded. First time cooking shellfish so just want to be sure I know what they're talking about. Thanks.
miken32
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4 answers

How do I determine if my mussels are fresh?

What texture should fresh mussel have? Does mushy mussels mean they are bad? What causes this mushy texture: cooking or quality of the mussels?
marty
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10
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1 answer

Accidentally killed my mussels

I bought some live mussels from the fish counter and I had been reading about 'flushing' them so I put them in a bowl of fresh water for a while and carried on perusing the internet. I then read here and here that leaving them in freshwater will…
Lyall
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10
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4 answers

What is the proportion of edible meat in whole live mussels?

The price of one kilo of mussels (blue mussels) here in my town is around 60–70 SEK (9–11 USD). I think that makes a large enough portion for two people, but when checking if all of them are alive and when cleaning them, the price runs higher. I'm…
citizen
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10
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1 answer

Clams frozen before purging

I got excited to find out my friends family vacation home is on a river where a ton of delicious clams live. TI caught a bunch of live clams, then hastily put the whole lot in a bag of water and threw that in the freezer while making dinner with my…
Shm
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7
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4 answers

Why was the cooking liquor for my mussels too dilute?

I made moule marinier, which were ok, but the 'sauce' that was left when they were cooked was more dilute than I would have liked. I cooked them in: 200ml white wine sauteed onions and garlic thyme and added parsley at the end. There seemed to…
Sam Holder
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7
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5 answers

How do you know when mussels are done?

I bought 1/2 pound of mussels and cooked them in a cast iron skillet with a little white wine and some shrimp stock on boiling heat. Almost all of them opened after about 15 minutes, some did not. The ones that opened were done perfectly, and those…
Tim Post
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6
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1 answer

What can be done with left over mussel shells?

What can be done with left over mussel shells? I have heard of them being boiled to make sauces etc. Is there any other culinary use for them once the mussels have been removed?
Jack Robinson
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6
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2 answers

How long to cook seafood in paella?

This recipe for seafood paella says to add mussels, prawns, squid and monkfish to the paella pan 5 minutes before finishing, stir and then cover with a lid. I made this twice and I have never been able to cook the seafood in 5 minutes. The mussels…
Legendre
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5
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Should traditional moule marinier have cream in it?

I'm about to make moule marinier and was surprised to see a lot of the recipes had cream in them. I'm sure I remember watching an episode of Celebrity Masterchef where they had to prepare moule marinier and the judges being surprised at the people…
Sam Holder
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1 answer

Can a few bad (dead) mussels harm a larger batch?

I realize there are numerous related questions on freshness of mussels: Fresh mussels, or are they? How do I determine if my mussels are fresh? I couldn't find exactly what I'm looking for. So feel free to argue if you think this is a duplicate…
talon8
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5
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1 answer

How to tell if frozen mussels are good?

I live a far distance from any body of salt water, so the only mussels available are packaged frozen mussels. I have always heard that cooked mussels must open or they are not good to eat, but when we cooked the frozen mussels only a few opened. I…
Wulfhart
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1 answer

Fresh mussels, or are they?

I bought and cooked these mussels today. I'd like to know if there is anything wrong with the left hand mussel. Is the color, size an indicator for freshness? I'm guessing it was 'captured' (OK, collected) longer ago than the one on the right. A…
BaffledCook
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4
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1 answer

Bad tasting mussels and avoiding buying them

Sometimes when you buy mussels, you find that they taste sort of rancid or at least not very fresh, even if they are alive (or at least closed). How can the taste get so bad if they still are alive? And how can you tell at the supermarket or fish…
citizen
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1 answer

Does soaking in saltwater for 20 mins help cleanse mussels?

After reading both sides of the debate (cp. beneath), I can't make up my mind! I live in Toronto, Canada. I buy my mussels from Diana's Seafood or Loblaws. Evidence for soaking in salt water for 20 mins Try This Simple Tip for Plump Steamed…
user24882
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