Mussels are considered the least valuable shellfish, but their fleshy and tasty meat makes them the perfect ingredient to be prepared in numerous ways, starting with a sauce for spaghetti, or stuffed for an appetizing finger food or stewed with herbs, like the recipe we suggest. Mussels are sold all year round, but the best time to eat them is from May to September when they release their full flavor.
How to clean mussels
When you buy mussels, make sure they are intact, with the shell properly closed and shiny. Above all, they must not emit a bad smell, but instead they must smell of the sea! Remove all those open or with the shells broken. Then to clean the mussels, take them one by one and with a small knife scrape the surface of the shells, removing all the incrustations and byssus, which is the protein filament the mussels use to stick to the rock. Rinse them under running water and open them by putting them in a pot with a lid and cooking them for 5 minutes. Once opened, filter the cooking liquid which you can use again.
Mussels with herbs recipe
Ingredients
2 lb mussels, 11 oz cherry tomatoes, 1 onion, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, 3 tufts of mint, parsley, 1 sachet of saffron powder, 1 glass dry white wine, extra virgin olive oil, salt.
Method
Clean the mussels and then open them by cooking on high heat in a covered pan with the wine. Remove the cooking liquid and the remaining closed shells. Then shell the open mussels and place them in a bowl with coarsely chopped thyme, mint and parsley leaves. You can keep some with the shell if you prefer. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Fry the thinly sliced onion in a pan with two tablespoons of oil. When golden brown, blend it with the remaining wine. Add the tomatoes, half a sachet of saffron, salt, stir and cook for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Add the remaining saffron and mussels, stir and remove from the heat. Serve the mussels with the aromatic herbs accompanied by slices of homemade toasted bread.