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I never ate mussels when I was young. The first time I tasted them was in the early 80s when my son ordered them at a restaurant. They were bright orange and served in their shells. They had a texture like rubber, little taste, and a bit of an off smell. That day did not turn me into a mussel fanatic.
A decade later I was sitting at a café in Marseilles. There were, of course, many fish items on the menu and I decided it was time to give mussels another try. The result this time was much different. I savored each mussel as I removed it from its shell and popped it in my mouth. I then sopped up all the soup with bread. I probably would have licked the bowl if I had not been in a public place. That day was the start of my love affair with mussels. Since then I’ve eaten mussels in many different forms, cooked in many different ways, and in many different settings.
When I started to look into various sources for information about mussels, I was surprised to learn that mussels were not all that common on the American scene until the 1970s. It turns out that mussels were common in the waters off the eastern sea coast when the Pilgrims came, but they did not indulge in them because the local Indians said they were toxic. Besides, there were plenty of oysters and clams to feed anyone’s desire for shellfish. Thus, mussels did not evolve as a staple in the American diet.
Mussels have been cultivated in France since the 13th century. The industry was actually started by a shipwrecked Irishman! Today, most mussels consumed in France are cultivated. Likewise, in the United States most of our mussels are cultivated. They are primarily grown in the northeastern portion of the country or eastern Canada.
Although great out of the shell after a brief steaming, mussels can also be used as an ingredient in other more complicated dishes. The nine dishes I’m offering here include a variety of preparation methods. |
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